Young Legends of Justice
by chaneldancegrl
Summary: The Young Justice team in the world of the Legend of Korra. Together they face the anti-bending revolution, Amon, saving the world, and kicking butt in probending tournaments. Robin's the Avatar, and he's got Wally and Artemis to help him out. When Wally gets kidnapped by Equalists, the whole team has to work together to save him before Amon gets his hand on him.
1. Chapter 1

The Legend of Young Justice Chapter 1

Summary: The Young Justice team in the world of the Legend of Korra. Together they face the anti-bending revolution, saving the world, and kicking ass in probending tournaments.

A/N: I've always wanted to see this crossover done, my two favorite series Young Justice and Legend of Korra/ Avatar the Last Airbender. I was always scared that I would mess up the characters or totally screw things up, and I was hoping someone with better writing abilities would write this. That's why I was so hesitant about this, but thanks to pandy-snowfalling and opaul on tumblr who both gave me prompts for a YJ/Korra crossover, I started to write. Also, Pandy drew this really cool drawing with Wally, Artemis, and Robin bending. Check it out on her tumblr, there's a link to it on my profile. This is dedicated to you guys and all my other readers. And it may not have everything you specifically asked for, (I tried to get the main ideas) but I hope you like the story. Also, huge shout out and thank you to Intrajanelle also known as JustJanelle on here for beta-ing my story with me!

*Note: With Young Jusctice: Invasion being so new and confusing, I will not be using any of those new characters, for now(maybe in future chapters but who really knows right now?)

Disclaimer: I don't own Young Justice or any of the Avatar series. Basically, anything you recognize is not mine.

12345678987654321

Wally sputtered water out of his mouth glared at his teammate, Roy, as they both climbed out of the water below the arena. A chime went off and the announcer proclaimed the Traught Tigerdillios as winners of the match, thanks to Avatar Robin. Their team would be moving on to the next round to battle for a place in the champion probending tournament. Robin waved as the crowd screamed their praise for his performance in the fight. It was pretty impressive the way he had expertly dodged the other team's attacks and used his acrobatic skills to strike them after they tired. His cackle bounded across the arena before he back flipped off the stage, riding a wave of water to his fellow teammates. While the crowd continued to cheer madly, the boys waved back with slightly less enthusiasm before heading towards the locker room.

As soon as they were alone, Robin and Wally spun to face their tall, stubborn, and angry, fire bending friend who met their defiant stare with one of his own. But before any of the boys could say anything, their mentors of the Justice Lotus walked in.

The Justice Lotus, commonly called the JL, weren't just their teachers. They were the protectors of peace, balance and justice in the world. They spent their time working to protect everyone and bring down villains. They had bases all over the world, but their headquarters were located in Republic City. It was led by some of the most powerful benders. One of these leaders, who everyone called Batman, due to his dark clothing, silent and mysterious manner, and heroic deeds particularly during the night, entered first. His glare asked the question on everyone's mind. _What happened out there?_ All eyes turned to the increasingly agitated Roy Harper.

"Got carried away," Roy answered brusquely, clenching his jaw.  
"No duh, you had no more juice left by the time you plummeted off the stage. We had a full-proof plan so we could've won," said Robin as he crossed his arms, ignoring his aching muscles.  
"We _did_ win."  
"We almost _didn't_. Your bullheadedness almost cost us the match, and then we wouldn't have been able to be in the championship tournament. That's the big league man!" Wally said, "We've been waiting for this since we first started bending and you almost threw it all away."

Roy didn't miss Wally's hidden meaning. It wasn't just about a championship title. Winning the tournament would prove to the Justice Lotus that they were ready to fulfill their real duty to help bring peace and harmony to the world. It had always been a dream of the trio, ever since they first realized their bending abilities. Their dreams were only heightened when they were taken under the wing of the Justice Lotus: Wally by the Flash, known for his lightning fast reflexes and quick air bending movements, Roy by GA, one of the sharpest firebending masters in the world, and Robin by Bats, a master waterbender who had vast and extensive knowledge and resources of other bending styles in order to help the young Avatar develop his abilities.

It had seemed like their dreams would actually come true when they were brought together by their mentors and the Justice Lotus, especially for Roy and Wally since they would be helping the Avatar. They soon became the best of friends and decided to join the probending world. Their mentors were reluctant due to fear of it as a distraction from their studies, but Green Arrow reasoned that it would be more practice and allow them to learn how to fight better.

According to Roy, GA had also almost guaranteed him that if they succeeded in probending, it would prove their readiness to join the Justice Lotus in helping save people. Of course, this caused even more desire to succeed, but just when they were getting closer to their dream, Roy had endangered it.

"We had a game plan. Why'd you throw it out the window?" Robin asked Roy, trying to remain as calm as his mentor.  
Roy pointed an accusing finger at the mentors, "_Their_ plan! It's _always_ their plan! Those aren't going to get us anywhere. Our fighting styles are older than everyone else's, so we have to work twice as hard to win in a fight because the other teams have fresher, faster, and newer moves."  
"Few know the more traditional styles, even fewer practice it. Instead, your opponents' techniques are sloppy. They tire out quickly and focus too much on raw power rather than using strategy," replied Batman stoically.  
"Roy, they know what they're doing when they train us," supplied Robin.  
"But do _you_ know what they're doing? It's not just their training. It's everything they're keeping from us. They keep us inside the mountain and we have no idea what's going on in the world except when we leave to go to tournaments. I bet they didn't tell you that the anti-bending revolution has gotten a lot worse. More people are joining their side every day and people are getting antsy, all following some masked non-bender named Amon, " he turned to the mentors, "Don't bother trying to deny it. I've seen it with my own two eyes and I've listened to the protestors."  
Bats glared at GA who floundered, trying to come up with an excuse as to how Roy had seen what was going on in Republic City. It had been a general rule that the apprentices would not be allowed into the real world while they were training, save for several various cases and reasons such as probending tournaments. Again, the JL didn't want the teens to get distracted by the "minor" issues in the world.

"Well, I thought it'd be good for him so see some of the city. I only took him to the park once. I didn't think he would sneak out more."

"Because you wouldn't take me out anymore," grumbled Roy irritably.  
"Wait, is Roy right?" asked Wally incredulously, looking to the JL. They shared a look which answered the air bender's question. "Why?"  
"You're not ready for it," Bats replied, his tone leaving no room for argument, but that didn't stop Roy.  
"Then what the hell have you been training us for?" shouted Roy, his face as red as his fire bender uniform.  
"There are things you still have to learn before you can go out and help bring peace to the world."  
"That's a load of bull!"  
"Not only does the Avatar still have much to learn, such as fire bending, but so do the two of you since you're going to help him," Batman answered.  
"The whole purpose of the Justice Lotus is to bring justice to the world and to train the Avatar and other powerful benders in order for them to bring peace and balance. You guys aren't ready, and if we sent you out now, it could do more harm than good," said the Flash, finally speaking up. "You're talented, don't get us wrong, but you still have a lot to learn before you can really help."  
"Why does Rob _need_ us?" asked Wally. "I mean, I guess I always assumed that Roy and I would tag along and help him out because that's who we are. We try to help people and stand by each other, but we never thought it was absolutely necessary. Don't get me wrong, I'd go anywhere with Rob," he slung an around said Avatar's shoulders, "but…did you guys plan this all along?"  
"Although Robin is powerful, we realized that having a group of benders to assist his mission would give him a better advantage," answered Batman, his expression and tone remaining unchanged.  
"So you want us to help Robin save the world, but you won't let us see the world we need to save?" Roy scowled. "My guess is, even when you do let us out, we'd still be under your thumb. I'm tired of this: your lies and your excuses. I'm leaving," he turned to Wally and Robin, who stared right back at him in shock. Roy had always been hard-headed due to his fiery personality, but never had he actually wanted to leave.  
Wally was the first to speak, "Are you crazy? Roy, don't go. We can figure something out-"  
"No. I'm done. Are you guys coming or what?"

Though his voice was angry, the other boys heard a twinge of begging. He didn't want to go alone.

Wally and Robin shared a look. They couldn't leave. As frustrating as it was to be kept in the dark about the world's situation, they knew their mentors were right. Plus, where else would they go? How would they finish training? They needed to stay here, for them, for their mentors, and for the world. It was the best place for them, even if Roy didn't see it that way.

"Roy-" Robin started, but Roy knew Robin's answer right away and set his mouth into a hard line.

"Fine," Roy spat, ripping off his uniform and throwing it on the ground. The final sounds they heard him make were the crack of his helmet as it hit the ground and the slam of the door as the firebender stalked out.

GA watched him leave. His hand dangled in the air uselessly before falling back to his side.

Robin pushed the hair out of his face, sighing tiredly.

"He was so not feeling the aster," he muttered to Wally, who smiled slightly despite the situation. Even now, Robin loved to bendthe English language.

"So now what?" asked Wally. Not only had one of their best friends left, but now they were down a teammate for probending.  
Batman remained calm despite Roy's outburst. "It appears you've got some work to do. The Lotus will introduce you two to some other apprentices starting tomorrow so that you can compete in the championship tournaments in a couple of weeks. They have also been trained by members of the Justice Lotus. They will begin training with you two and will eventually be joining your endeavor to restore balance to the world. You will also pick one of them to take Roy's spot in the tournaments. I will talk to the tournament's organizers about the addition."  
Both of the boys gaped.

"You can't just replace Roy like that!" cried Wally.

"It's either that or no probending. Your decision." Bat's look silenced Wally's other arguments. Robin remained silent, but clenched his jaw. He didn't agree with his mentor, but knew he had a point. "Report to the center of the Mountain at sunrise tomorrow for training."

With a whoosh of his cape, the Dark Knight and other mentors left the room, The Flash placing a hand on Wally's shoulder before exiting.

Robin sighed and began changing into regular clothes."We better do as he says. We've got a big day ahead of us."

12345678987654321

"Is it possible for you to stop stuffing your face for five seconds so we can actually talk about who we want for our new teammate?" asked the Boy Wonder, staring as his friend wolfed down beef stick after beef stick that they had bought from a stall merely two minutes ago.  
Wally gave him a sheepish smile and used his sleeve to wipe his mouth. "Sorry, bro, just kind of overwhelmed. First time outside the arena and all."

The boys were out on the town in Republic City, on their own for the first time. After a week of training with the other young benders, the duo had decided to escape the oppressive walls under the cover of darkness to explore the city and relax. It wasn't hard with Wally's air bending and Robin's natural affinity for sticking to the shadows. The escape also gave them a chance to talk freely about who they wanted on their team without worrying about their mentors' prying ears.

"Have you ever tried being just whelmed?" Robin ignored the playful eye roll from Wally, "Seriously though, tell me what you think. We have to narrow them down. The Lotus wants us to give them our decision tomorrow."

He got a dopey smile in response.

"Megan Morse."  
"Miss Martian? I'm not too sure about her…" trailed Robin, thinking of the bright eyed, peppy, freckled water bender.  
"Dude! How can you say that? Yeah, she and her uncle have weird names, but now no one gets them confused with anyone else! Plus, she's like one of the hottest babes to walk the Earth! Just imagine practicing with her every day. She landed a couple of good hits on me today, and that's almost impossible with my skills. I'll win her over with my charm and she'll love me forever after we win the championship tournament. We definitely need her."  
"We are not picking a teammate because of hot they are. And yeah, she's a good water bender , but she's very raw and unstable. John says she's powerful, but she still has some work to do. We don't want to risk it in the arena with her yet."  
Wally's face fell and he pouted, "But-but-"  
"Plus, I'm pretty sure she's dating that broody earth bender. You really want to go up against Conner?" asked Robin with a smirk.  
Wally thought back, remembering the tall muscular protégé of Superman throwing boulders across the room like they were nothing.

"Uh… pass. But I don't like him." Wally heard a loud snort. "Not just because of her, but he's too… lumbering. He doesn't move as fast as we do. He won't really mesh with the new style of fighting we're trying to make."

Robin nodded and took out his red notepad, scribbling notes. "So striking Superboy and Megan from the list. What about Kaldur? I know he's a water bender, but I can always trade elements during the tournament to earth. I think he's exactly what we need. He's smart, great at water bending, in control, super strong but quick…" he stopped when he saw Wally shake his head, "What?"  
"But he's ," drew out Wally. "Plus, he wasn't even there for most of the practice. During break, I even heard some of the other mentors mentioning that he spends too much time traveling between Republic city and the Northern Water Tribe to see his family and his girlfriend or something. We'd need him here all the time and I don't know if he can do that. And when he is here, he could be distracted by thinking about his girlfriend. I would too if I was in his place. I don't even know how _he_ got one. How come he gets one and I don't? I'm tons more fun."

Wally's lip stuck out again toward the end, but Robin mulled over his points before huffing out a breath of air.

"Fine, but we can use him as backup if we need him later on." Robin tapped his pen against his chin, "What about Raquel?"  
"The new girl? Rocket? I thought she was metal bender." Wally tossed the now bare beef sticks into a trash can, "that's cool and all, but doesn't fly in the tournament."  
"I'm sure she can earth bend too," reasoned Robin.  
"Maybe, but she's a kick ass metal bender. And, she didn't really practice earth bending a lot today and it doesn't look like it's her strong suit. I'm going to say no on the probending. So who's that leave? There was one more, right?" Wally looked to see his best friend turn away quickly, a small smile ghosting over his face.  
"Zatanna Zatara. That's all who's left from today," he replied. Although he was trying to be nonchalant towards the suggestion, Wally interpreted the smile creeping on his face.  
"I knew it! You totally have a thing for her! But how could you forget that she's an airbender? Because we already have one, aka yours truly. So, no. Sorry bro, but she's going to have to wait in the wings because I don't plan on going anywhere." Wally swung an arm around the younger boy's shoulders, as he remembered the black haired, blue eyed beauty with the mischievous smile, "and we really don't need another evil mastermind on the team, you're too much already."  
Robin responded by quickly flicking his hand upward to raise a small patch of the sidewalk, effectively tripping Wally before he burst into a cackle.  
Wally was a centimeter from the ground before he blew against it bringing himself back to an upright position.

"Ugh, not cool!" Wally shrugged, readjusting the new black jacket he wore to try to blend in with regular civilians instead of his bright air bender uniform. When finished, he took a gander around and noticed they had left the busier and brighter part of the city. Gone were the kids running around as cars swerved to pass them and vendors trying to sell goods before closing; now they were surrounded by dark shops and dim, flickering street lamps. A few rats scurried through an alleyway to his left and Wally sped up to catch to his friend. "Where _are_ we?"

Robin stopped and looked around. "I don't know any more. We must've taken a wrong turn." He pulled out a paper map they had swiped from Bats' office earlier. "This road should've taken us back to the main plaza, but it looks like we've gotten farther away from it." His face scrunched up as he considered their options. "Alright, let's try-"

A sudden crash and the sound of roaring flames from an alley up ahead interrupted him. The boys looked at each other, seeing the curiosity and determination reflected in the other's eyes. This was a moment, to actually use their training for something besides probending, a chance to help someone. Simultaneously, they ran towards the dark alley, arguing voices and other fighting sounds growing louder as they approached.

At first, all they could make out were flying rocks, glittering icicles, and dark moving shapes, sporadically brought into light by quick bursts of flame. It looked like a trio comprised of a shady looking earth bender, a fire bender, and a water bender all against one blonde hair girl. The girl was shooting flames as she became trapped against the wall.  
Robin thrust out his right arm in a quick, strong motion, raising the ground beneath the gang members and causing them to stumble.

The water bender, a tall pale man with black hair and a goatee, both cut closely to his head, stood up quickly, gritting his teeth as he shot a glare at the newcomers.

"This isn't your battle kiddies. Now if you're smart, unlike her," he jerked his head in the girl's direction as she continued battling the other two, "you'll walk away without being turned into popsicles."

"You'll have to catch us first," replied Wally as he and Robin both took fighting stances.  
"Don't say I didn't warn you," the goon replied as he took water from a pouch and flung his hand out towards the two boys, resulting in a barrage of icicles headed in their direction.

Wally dodged nimbly, forming a small air current so he landed on the other side of the water bender, behind the other villains and facing the girl. Robin's blast of air met the icicles, effectively shooting them into a nearby wall. The older man stepped back, confusion coloring his face.

"But I thought-" he frowned and attacked again, sending a wave of water towards the Robin who returned it, soaking the man before freezing him.

By now, the others had taken notice that their leader had been trapped by a boy who could wield more than one element. "The Avatar?" one of them murmured in disbelief.  
During their hesitation, Wally met the girl's stone grey eyes and nodded, together they each went after a goon, landing an effective hit before they realized what was going on. Robin ran to help, but hit a patch of ice, sliding into a wall instead.  
Wally spared a glance at his friend, allowing the fire bender goon to shoot a blast, which he barely avoided by stumbling into the blonde girl. It was then that Wally realized how young the girl was, probably around his age. Her golden hair, that almost glowed in the dim light, was in a disarray and her eyes turned stormy as she struggled under Wally's weight. "Get off, idiot!" shouted her husky voice as she shoved at him. Wally heard rumbling as the earth bender created a hole in the wall of a store. He quickly got up and shot a tornado toward the villain, sending him into the wall on the other side of the store.  
The girl jumped up ready to fight, but the other fire bender was quickly trapped between two slanted walls of earth. She turned to look towards Robin who was walking towards her, smiling despite the battle.  
"The Avatar, huh?" she commented as she looked him over, eyebrow raised. "So the rumors are true."

Suddenly a shout brought both of their attention to Wally being crushed by a boulder. Artemis sent a wave of flames at the earth bender to disorient him enough to free Wally, before bursting through them and knocking him out with a solid kick to the head. She helped Wally to his feet while Robin encased the villain in a block of ice.

They barely had time to catch their breath before being drowned in a wave of water. The head crony who Wally had decided to nickname "Freeze" had gotten free.

"I warned you. You should've minded your own business."

The teenagers lined up to face him when wailing sirens and blinding lights illuminating the small alley interrupted them. "This is the police! Stay where you are!" The clanking of grappling hooks pierced the air as the metal bending police force began to lower themselves into the alley.

Wally, Robin, and the girl shared a look before fleeing through the destroyed shop, out the backdoor, and down into tight, dark, back alley. They reached a T intersection. The blonde darted to the left without hesitation while Wally went right. Robin yanked on his best friend's arm and gestured that they should follow the girl. Wally shot him a puzzled look. "We're really going to follow some random girl we just met?"

"She knows this area better than we do, you really want to explain to Bats why he had to bail us out of prison? Just go!" He shoved Wally again in the direction of the fading blonde dot and they quickly caught up to her with the help of some air bending.  
"You guys are fast," she huffed, looking back at them, before taking a sharp right and entering an old abandoned building. She let them follow her in her before she silently closed the door. They breathed heavily, trying to calm down before turning silent as the rumbling of running feet and clinking metal passed by the door.  
Wally's fingers started to twitch and he shifted his body weight in case of an attack when the girl slugged his arm. He bit down on his lip to stop a yell, glaring at the girl who simply returned it back and pointed at the door. He clenched his jaw and turned away, rubbing his arm until the throb died down. Who did she think she was slugging the guy who helped her save her life? After about ten minutes, Robin slowly poked his head outside, wary of the various street noises in the night. When he finally came back in, he breathed a sigh of relief. "I think the coast is clear." The sounds of shuffling and things falling to the floor filled the room as Robin looked for a light source. After finding a lamp, he passed it to Artemis who gave it a quick shot of electricity, emitting enough light so that he could see them having a face off.  
"Lucky for us, Kid Idiot over here didn't give us away," snarled the girl.  
"I was getting ready to _defend_ myself. I'd rather not go to prison tonight," Wally shot back, "and the name's not Kid Idiot. You don't even know me!"  
"Kid Flash and Avatar Robin, the newest probenders to enter the tournament and the crowd favorite. Whoop-dee-do," she snorted and noticed their shocked expressions. "There's only one person who can bend more than one element, geniuses. Wasn't that hard to figure out."  
Wally quickly overcame his surprise and confidently exclaimed,"Exactly! We're one of the best bending teams in the tournament, so you better watch your back."  
"I can watch my back just fine. I wasn't the one who got lost in the slums and almost got crushed by a boulder. You're welcome by the way."  
"For what!"  
"Saving your life."  
"Uh, hello, Blondie! We saved your butt from getting kicked by a trio of nasty looking benders."  
"I didn't ask for your help!" she yelled, getting up in his face. "Why don't you just mind your own business?"  
Robin pushed his way in between them, his frown stopping Wally from saying something stupid. "Alright, how bout we just back up, stay lax, figure out a plan- What?" Robin caught the girl's scrunched up face.  
"Lax? What is _that_ supposed to mean?"  
"Lax? You know, like relax. But re means to return to something, and relax means to be calm, but when we met we weren't calm, so we can't return to being calm. Therefore, we need to get lax."  
Wally chuckled, enjoying the girl's confusion. "Rob here's got a thing for wordplay. You get used to it after a while." He quickly heard the implications of his words and hurriedly tried to cover it. "Not that you'll be staying around for long."  
Robin rolled his eyes and turned to the girl, "So you know who we are, but who are you? You're a pretty good bender, strong and fast. You move like you're in a probending fight, but we haven't seen you before."  
"That's because you guys don't get out much. Haven't seen you two around before, but I've heard about you on the radio during tournaments…" she hesitated, wary of giving out her name.  
"Who are you?" shouted Wally, throwing his hands up in the air.  
"Will you shut it? You'll alert every police officer in the whole city!" she yelled back before sighing and slowly meeting Robin's eyes. "The name's Artemis."  
"There a last name to that, Arty?" taunted Wally after a pause.  
"Not one you need to know," she replied.  
"So...Artemis, what brings you out fighting gangs in dark alleys tonight?" Robin jumped in again.  
"Just, trying to keep the peace," she shrugged. "There are always gangs running around, thinking they own the town and the shopkeepers. Someone's gotta put them in their place. The JL handles the big guys, but they can't catch every single gang member. That's where I come in." Artemis looked up, catching their startled faces. "What?"  
"You-you actually save people?" stammered Wally. Who would've thought? The night they go out to learn more about the city they wanted to defend, they found someone who was already living their dream. "Doesn't the Justice Lotus have a problem with you on their turf?"  
"Not really, my mentor's one of them. You've probably met him. You know GA, right?" she asked and was met with more startled looks but continued. "He said they technically don't let protégés on the streets, something went wrong with his old one, but I've got family here and I've been here my whole life. Will you stop looking at me like I've grown another head?"  
"You're GA's new apprentice? Now I'm really surprised we haven't met you yet," said Robin while Wally was still trying to form words. "We've been training with some of the Lotus' other apprentices and knew GA was training someone new after Roy left, but it's nice to actually meet you. _That's_ why you've got the probending, fire bender techniques."  
Artemis shrugged, trying to be nonchalant, but the boys could see a small smile from the compliment. "Thanks."  
An idea struck Robin. "Hold on just a sec," he put a gloved finger in the air and yanked Wally to the other side of the room. "I think we should add her to the team," he whispered to him when they were mostly out of earshot.  
To say Wally was shocked was an understatement. "Are you crazy? No way. Nuh-uh. We can have Kaldur if you want. But. Not. Her," he emphasized each word in the end.  
Artemis glared in their direction from the other side of the room, hearing his not whispered comment.  
Robin whacked Wally's head. "Be quiet! Hear me out. She's a good fire bender, up there with us, and she's trained with GA, so she knows the same techniques as Roy, maybe more that she picked up from the street. She has the fighting style we want the arena. And did you see the way we took out that gang? Admit it. We work well together. For the most part, you guys have done nothing but fight, but we can work that out." Wally gave him a look. "Come on, she's supposed to be a part of this team, I can feel it. Just get over your stubbornness for once, and admit that I'm right, as always."  
Wally paused and opened his mouth several times without speaking. He glanced sideways at Artemis who pretended to be disinterested by combing her fingers through her long blonde hair, then back at his friend. As much as he knew he was going to suffer from having her on the team, Robin had a point and wouldn't forgive him if he let Artemis slip through their fingers. "Fine."  
Robin grinned and walked towards Artemis, Wally sulking behind. "Artemis, we've got a proposition for ya."  
She looked warily between the two boys. "Which is?"  
Robin spread his arms in a dramatic gesture. "We'd like for you to join our team, the probending and the one eventually restoring balance to the world. You get to be a famous probender and a hero. What do you say?"  
She thought for a moment, weighing her options. To join the duo of boys she just met who had the same goals she did, or stick to defeating petty criminals and receiving years more of training before being officially allowed to save the world with the JL. Her determined grey eyes met hopeful blue and wary green ones. She took a deep breath before answering, "I'm in."

12345678987654321

A/N: Tada! I hope you liked Chapter 1 of Young Legends of Justice. This chapter was longer than I thought it would be, but there was a lot I wanted to get in. The others may be shorter. There will also be appearances from more team members, the Justice League (or Justice Lotus or JL (see what I did there?)), and of our favorite villains. Yes, this is technically a crossover, but putting a story in the crossover section is suicide, so my story will stay here. The next few chapters are outlined, they just need to be written. So leave reviews and/ or constructive criticism. I can't wait to hear what you guys think! :D


	2. Chapter 2

Young Legends of Justice Chapter 2

A/N: Hey guys, thanks for reading chapter one. I hope you all enjoy this! Also, sorry for the formatting issues in the last chapter with the scene skips, they looked fine everywhere else I posted. I made sure to fix them this chapter.

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything you recognize in here.**

12345678987654321

"Nice shot," commented Robin as he stared at a row of smoking targets hanging from a fireproof chord along the back wall of the gym.

Artemis wiped the sweat from her brow and took a gulp of water from her bottle. "No big deal."

"The Avatar gives you a compliment and you just brush it off?" He gave her a smirk and put a hand over his heart. "Ouch, that hurts."

A brief smiled flashed across her face before she shrugged indifferently. "Don't get too worked up over it. I'll let you know when your words mean something to me."

"You're killing me! You know, most people would be nicer to the guy who let them join their champion probending team."

She snorted." You guys aren't even in yet. If we win tonight, _then_ we'll be in the champion tournament."

"You mean _when_. Mark my words, we'll be unstoppable. Tonight's only the beginning of an asterous new team."

"Whatever you say, Boy Wonder. Now are you actually going to practice too or just watch me? Because I've been practicing all day while you just stood there."

Robin laughed, but his retort was cut off by their incoming teammate.

"All day? You're going to need more practice if that's the best you can do after practicing all day," teased Wally, chewing around a piece of fruit he had swiped from the kitchen.

"My bending's great. It's _yours_ I'm worried about," Artemis shot back. "I haven't seen you all day. You've probably just been eating every ounce of food in this place."

It had only been a few days since their first meeting, but already the trio had gotten to know each other. It hadn't taken long for Artemis to pick up on Wally's excessive eating habits. The airbender would eat all day, both out of necessity and due to his love of food. He always argued it was due to his hyperactivity and need to move around so much, especially with airbending which required a lot of energy. It also wasn't hard to see the boys' mischievous natures. Artemis now knew to keep her gym bag in sight when they were near after finding half a dozen badgerfrogs jumping around in her bag. Granted she had discovered Wally was the main perpetrator, but she suspected the Avatar had played at least a minor role too, merely holding back so Artemis wouldn't quit the team. Needless to say, the firebender became very skilled in observing her surroundings.

Wally and Robin had also learned about their new teammate, who wasn't just GA's new protégé, but his niece. She was tough and passionate, with a fiery temper that blazed whenever someone tried to belittle her. But the most unique characteristic the boys had learned was that she absolutely loved her long blonde hair. This revelation had transpired during a dinner when Wally was returning to the table with seconds and had tripped over a seat, spilling a whole bowl of water tribe noodles on her hair. Artemis had shrieked and frantically tried to claw out the green, moist noodles entangled in her locks, when she heard Wally laughing. She roughly grabbed him by collar and shoved him against the wall. "Don't you ever mess with my hair again Kid Klutz, or I'll throw you into a volcano." She had then stalked away to take an hour long shower, giving the airbender a chance to breathe again. Wally had then rushed to move the pies he had precariously placed above her guest room.

Something else Robin had learned: his two teammates loved to fight to each other, whether it was sparring, pranks, yelling, or debates. But what he had also noticed was that their clashing wasn't hateful; in fact, he would often catch smiles, or hear playful banter. It's why Artemis was still on the team. Not that she wasn't a terrific bender, but if Artemis and Wally didn't get along at all, it would've hurt the team. But they _didn't_ hate each other. The only problems occurred when one of them was in a sour mood, had angered the other, or felt humiliated, like now. Then it started a chain reaction.

"Why? Did you miss me, blondie?" asked Wally with a smirk, knowing it would irritate her.

"As if!" she snorted, fists clenching. Robin cut off the rest of her retort before the fight could escalate.

"Don't worry about him, Artemis. He's just mad because Flash's been kicking his butt all day at airball."

"Dude!" Wally cried.

"Really bad," he observed, smiling.

"Dude!" repeated Wally even louder, his face growing red as Artemis chuckled. "What are you laughing about? You've never kicked GA's butt during sparring or a target competition."

"And how would you know that, Flash Boy?" she snapped.

"Because you're just a replacement, a rookie!"

Artemis bristled and slowly walked towards him, a furious look on her face. "You don't know _anything_ about me or my skills. All you've seen is some practicing and one street fight that was in the dark. I may be new to this team, but at least I'm not wrapped up in my own little world. You have _no_ idea what's going on out there!" By now, she was right in his face, teeth clenched. _Who does he think he is?_ She steamed. _He wouldn't last one second in the streets or on his own. His worst day was probably getting scolded by his mentor_. She mentally rolled her eyes at the thought. _And here he is calling me a rookie_. _Soft, ignorant, little airbender._

"There's an antibending revolution following some guy named Anon or Nomnom or something like that," he replied boredly, waving a hand around. "We know, we're not stupid."

Now Artemis actually rolled her eyes. "That's just the surface, numbskull. Is that all the Justice Lotus told you?"

Wally and Robin shared sheepish looks. "Er, no," Robin finally said. "We actually got that intel from…..an old friend."

"A.k.a. GA's old protégé," huffed Wally.

Artemis's eyes widened slightly in surprise. "Wow, you weren't kidding about them keeping you in the dark."

"That's why we snuck out and ended up finding you. Now, since we still don't really know what's going on, you mind telling us what it's like out there?" asked Robin, jabbing his thumb towards the windows behind him.

Artemis began to speak but stopped when she heard Wally's muttered "S' probably making it up." Artemis glared, but Robin wacked him upside the head.

"Just shut it! Do you want to know or are you going to keep being a stubborn bull pig?" scolded Robin. Wally made a face but remained silent.

Artemis raised an eyebrow, challenging him to say something else, but he kept his mouth shut. "Well, the revolution isn't some angry drunks meeting in dark alleyways. It's a completely organized rebellion with lots of supporters, resources, even soldiers."

"Soldiers? But how can these soldiers hold their own against benders?" asked Robin.

"They're smart. They've studied bending and picked up on benders' weaknesses. They use chi-blocking which temporarily paralyzes you and makes you unable to bend. They've also got great martial art skills to their advantage. All of the soldiers are chi-blockers and martial artists. Some of them use technology and electricity to immobilize their enemies. They use electric rods to electrocute benders and smoke bombs to disappear. They're sneaky little devils too, always running around at night. They're all Amon's henchmen, carrying out his orders and taking down anyone who gets in his way." Artemis took another drink of water before sitting on a bench. She quickly noticed the boy's shocked expressions.

Wally was the first to recover. "And there's no way to fight against them?"

"Oh, you can fight. You just have to be faster and outsmart them to win, but sometimes even that's not enough."

"So what happens when we face them?"

Artemis sighed tiredly, brushing a few loose strands of hair from her face. "I don't know. I've only seen them from far away or just heard about them."

"Bats and the rest of the JL have to know how to fight them. They're out there saving people and benders all the time. I'm positive they've come across the chi-blockers and figured out a way to take them down. We'll have to ask them to train us on how to handle them," mused Robin.

Wally nodded. "Definitely. Now what's the deal with this Amon guy? Why's he so against bending?"

Artemis shrugged. "Honestly? No one knows that much about him. He wears a mask and a cloak all the time. No one knows anything about his past or what he exactly plans to do. He's got a grudge against benders and isn't against beating them up to make his point. He says he's fighting against inequality between benders and nonbenders. That us benders have been oppressing the nonbenders and that we're the reason for all the wars."

"What!" burst Wally, his eyes widening in shock. "That's crazy! It was just a handful of evil, power hungry benders who started the war and sucked everybody in. People can't seriously believe all the benders are to blame."

"A lot of people believe Amon," she said quietly but the boys still heard her.

"It makes sense though," commented Robin after a while. "All of the wars started with benders, were fought by benders, and a lot of non benders suffered because they couldn't sufficiently protect themselves. Yeah, a lot of benders were persecuted," thoughts of the Air monk genocide, the attacks on both Water tribes, and the kidnapping of earthbenders ran through his mind, "but they had better means to fight back. Even now it's easy to see why non benders are unhappy. Think of all the bending gangs who bully and rob them. Or even the lack of jobs available to them. For example, they can't be on the police force, healers, probending competitors, or provide energy for trains. And there's no big time non bender who has a real voice in the politics of Republic City except for Amon. It makes sense why they're following him."

"But it doesn't mean what Amon is doing is right," reasoned Wally.

"He's hurting people, and rumor has it he's got something big up his sleeves," Artemis added.

"I know that what Amon is doing is wrong," Robin replied, "but we have to figure out a way to bring peace and balance to everyone, to make sure nonbenders have an actual voice to represent them and stop this fighting."

The trio sat in silence, lost in their own thoughts. They had to find a balance between helping both sides, making sure that everyone was safe but got their own voices. This was the problem for their generation. There wasn't an obvious evil dictator trying to take over the world. Amon _did_ have a point about the injustices in the world; it wasn't fair to nonbenders. But how were the Avatar and his friends going to get through to them if they were so set in their beliefs? And how were they going to reassure other benders that they weren't giving up and joining Amon's ranks? Indistinct chatter growing louder in the hallway stirred the group out of their musings.

"I better go." Artemis said suddenly, picking up her gym bag and heading towards the door.

"See you later," called Robin. Artemis replied with a lazy wave, keeping her back to them.

"Don't be late, Arty Farty!" shouted Wally, returning to his playful self.

Artemis snapped her fingers and shot a small flame at Wally before leaving their sight.

Wally easily ducked. "See? You missed! I told you-"he stopped, smelling the air then looked at his burning gym bag. "Aw man!" He flipped it over and started stomping out the flames.

"I told you she wouldn't like that nickname." Robin smiled as he left his friend with a blackened and still smoking bag.

12345678987654321

Wally waved farewell as his family left him in front of the arena to get their seats for the match. He smiled at their retreating backs before he excitedly began to jog up the steps. _Today's gonna be a good day. This is it. After tonight, we'll officially be in the Champion Tournament, no doubt about it._ Then, out of the corner of his eye he saw a flash of yellow and red turn a corner into a dark hallway leading to the back of the arena.

_What is Artemis doing?_ Wally confusedly thought. _We have a fight in a half hour and need to warm up. There's absolutely nothing she needs to get back there. It's just storage and balconies looking over the water. _He quickly made up his mind and silently followed her.

12345678987654321

Artemis was yanked up several stairways and pushed into an empty hallway looking over the surrounding lake. She walked towards the middle of the balcony, away from any doors and window, and watched the yellow lights reflected across the surface of the water but remained painstakingly aware of the shadowy presence lounging on the metal railing right next to her. The moment of strained silence was broken by Artemis's irritated, "What do you want, Jade?"

"Can't an older sister wish her younger sister good luck without having ulterior motives?" replied Jade's silky voice from the darkness.

"Not if it's you" came her brisk reply. "Now what do you want?"

"Pushy pushy." Artemis could practically hear her smiling in the darkness. "I just wanted to see if the rumors were true. Our sources didn't disappoint."

"Right. Well, you can see I've got a new team now, so goodbye." She spun on her heel to leave but was held back by a tight hand on her upper arm.

"Not so fast." Jade's voice lost her teasing tone. "Do you really think that little team is going to get you anywhere? You've made your point. Drop this little 'good girl' charade you having going."

"Or what? I'll have an 'accident'?"

"You should know better than to underestimate _him,_ Artemis. Especially when he's furious."

"I can take care of myself. I'm not by myself anymore."

Jade snorted. "You wouldn't stand a chance. And who's going to help you? That little team of yours? The Avatar? You think he's going to waste his time and energy to save little old you? He's got better things to do with his time than save your sorry butt."

Despite her attempts to keep a strong façade, Artemis felt herself wilt inside. Jade had hit right where it hurt most, her insecurities. The long time feelings of non-importance, of not being good enough, or of being weak came rushing back.

Jade smiled, sensing victory. "One last chance," she purred.

Artemis faltered for a moment, but took a deep breath, trying to organize her thoughts. She thought of her new life, of fighting and practicing alongside her teammates, of GA taking her in and giving her a second chance, of meeting her heroes in the Justice Lotus, and of probending without cheap shots or sneaky maneuvers, and of a chance to do good and be proud of herself. There was no way she was going to give up any of that, not even for her sister. "No," she firmly replied, evenly meeting her sister's gaze.

Jade's Cheshire grin slid from her face and turned into a cold scowl. "Don't say I didn't warn you," she said harshly. "See you in the tournament, _if_ your teammates trust you enough to keep you on their team that long." She pulled out a small bag, jangling with coins, and tossed it to Artemis. "Here's the last piece of your cut from the winnings. You bolted before you could claim it. Keep it. After all, you were the reason The Shadows won that round." Jade winked and flipped off the railing into the water, bending it to soften her splash before she swam away from view.

Artemis scowled at the purse, wishing she could forget that fight. She lifted her hand, fully intent on hurling it to the farthest corners of the lake, when the sound of a falling broomstick interrupted her. She turned around to glare at the clumsy intruder but felt her muscles freeze when she saw the suspicious green eyes and wild red hair.

"Wally?"

12345678987654321

Despite following the blonde firebender to the middle floor of the back of the arena, he couldn't get close enough to hear more than snippets of her conversation with a shady looking figure. He ached to get closer but remained hidden behind a wall next to some carelessly placed brooms and other cleaning supplies_. Devious, sneaky girl_, he mentally grumbled_. Picked the hardest area to spy on_. Despite his less than ideal location, he managed to pick up some of their conversation such as, "ulterior motives…Rumors were true… 'good girl' charade… 'accident'…better things to do…" which began to reluctantly lead him to a hypothesis.

He decided to take a chance, and peered around the wall corner in time to see the shadow throw a sack of coins to Artemis and say "Here's the last piece of your cut from the winnings, you bolted before you could claim it. Keep it. After all, you were the reason The Shadows won that round." before disappearing into the night.

Wally's eyes widened in shock and he simultaneously felt his blood boil and his heart drop. How _could_ she? After everything the Justice Lotus had done for her? After he and Robin had let her join their team and had started to get to know her, she was working with _them_? Just when he had started getting excited to compete with her, he finds her having secret meeting. He couldn't believe that conniving little liar was working with The Snapping Shadows, one of the most ruthless and dirty playing teams in the probending league, and the current reigning champs. As if their crooked strategies in the arena and winning the jackpot weren't enough, The Snapping Shadows also had an infamous gang, nicknamed The Shadows, who loved to start turf wars and harass shop keepers. The only reasons The Snapping Shadows were still allowed to probend were due to paying off officials and refs, and because the police couldn't "officially" trace the gang back to the team. _If Artemis is working with them, it's an obvious attempt to sabotage the Traught Tigerdillios or hurt the Robin,_ Wally quickly concluded. He promptly turned away from the girl in an attempt to hurriedly warn Robin when he tripped over the pile of cleaning supplies. He fumbled with several mops and broomsticks, but one escaped his grasp and clattered noisily to the ground. He hastily tried to reach for it, but looked up seeing Artemis's shocked gaze focused in his direction.

"Wally?" She asked, glancing warily around him. "What are you doing?"

"I was about to ask you the same thing," he said in a low, calculating voice.

"I was just, uh, trying to, uh, relax before the match," she fumbled but regained some semblance of her snark, "But then you showed up and ruined it." He snorted. She rolled her eyes. "Now if you don't mind, we've got a match to win." She made to move past him, but he quickly stepped in her path.

"Not so fast. Now, I'm just curious. Do you have any _special _tricks you're planning on throwing tonight?" Her gazed hardened, but he continued speaking. "I want to know if we're going to be able to finish the match without getting suspended. Or maybe you just paid the ref off so we won't need to worry about him."

Artemis's eyes narrowed and she clenched her first. "I don't know what you think you know, but I _don't_ play dirty," she spit out.

"You sure? Nothing you want to tell us?" he prodded. "Anything you've been keeping in the _Shadows_?"

She roughly jabbed a finger in his chest. "You don't know _anything_ about me, Wallace West. I don't have anything to do with the Shadows," she sneered at the word, "besides wanting to kick their butts in the tournament, but we can't do that with you all over my back. So _lay off_!" With that, she spun on her heel and ran towards the room to suit up, leaving Wally confused and scowling in the dark.

12345678987654321

Robin glanced curiously at his teammates on either side of him, feeling the tension rolling of them in waves. He didn't get a chance to ask what their deal was before the announcer began their introduction and they were moved to the main platform. "Stay whelmed," he murmured as their opponents, the Dark Cobras, lined up in front of them.

The bell rang and the air was immediately filled with flames, water, and clay flying at the benders. Robin saw Artemis on the far side of the ring, ferociously getting attacked by the other team's earth bender. Robin shot a stream of water at the firebender and glanced at Wally, toying with the other waterbender in the middle. _What is he _doing_? He's supposed to be helping Artemis. We knew the other team would go for Artemis since she's the newest player._ Robin barely had time to blink when he felt a blast of flame knock him into the corner of the arena. Wally was soon corralled next to him as they got pelted by water. They turned their sides to avoid the brunt of water.

On the other side of the Traught Tigerdillio's zone, Artemis was dodging a multitude of clay disks and fire blasts. She quickly punched a couple of flames, at the firebender, catching him off guard and pushing him into zone two. She spared a glance at her teammates, wondering why they weren't helping. The split second cost her, and she felt an earth disk explode into the sides her legs, knocking her to the ground. She scrambled to rise to her feet, but the other Cobra firebender blasted her through the back opening. A splash was heard, and the crowd reacted with a mixture of cheers and discontent, depending on their affiliation.

The Cobra water bender soon grew weary, and Robin and Wally used this time to fight back. Wally was the first one out of the corner, blocking the water with a blast of air, followed by another blast aimed at the waterbender, who flew backwards and off the platform. It was Wally and Robin versus the Cobra fire and earth benders. The firebender and Robin started a slugging match with their elements and soon the stage was filled with steam, making it hard to see. Wally manipulated the air around him, letting him see the earthbender and get in a couple shots before he disappeared into the mist again. A buzzer went off and Wally saw that Robin had been pushed over the line by an intense flame. Suddenly, Wally felt pain in his stomach, and was flying through the air and over the edge of the platform. The bell chimed, announcing the end of round one and the Cobras as its victors.

Wally swam to the loading dock where Artemis was glaring resentfully at him. He ignored her stare and tapped his foot impatiently as they were raised again to the fighting stage. Robin walked over to them, his disappointment evident. "What are you guys doing? I'm pretty sure we practiced this week, right? Or do you just have clones taking your places?"

"We're trying, Rob," replied Artemis, annoyed. She cracked her knuckles. "Tell Kid Idiot over here to get his head in the game."

"My head! I'm not the one who got blasted off first. Maybe it was a mistake to ad-"

"Guys! Stop it! We don't have time for this. Get traught or get blasted out of the ring!" Robin turned and walked into zone one for the start of the next round, Wally and Artemis followed suit, effectively ignoring each other.

The bell dinged and Robin immediately started pelting the Cobra earth bender, whipping the water at his opponent and sending him back two zones.

Meanwhile, Wally worked to hold off the other waterbender. He dodged and weaved, kicking air into his opponent's direction. Wally gritted his teeth. The other bender was smoothly dodging his attacks and he couldn't land a hit anywhere. He needed to catch his opponent off guard. Wally quickly checked in on his own teammates; Robin was in an intense face off with the earthbender_. Maybe Artemis….. No, I don't need her help_. Wally jumped into the air and spun to the side, dodging a water strike.

On the other side of Wally was a full on firebender slug fest. Both Artemis and the Cobra were kicking and throwing fire blasts, smoke filling their area. Artemis avoided a particularly close flame that singed a part of her hair. She glowered. "Not today, buddy." And she cartwheeled to the side to evade another attack, planning a counterattack by creating two mega flames with her feet in the air to send spinning toward him. Unfortunately, she didn't notice Wally's close proximity and ended up landing on top of him, ruining both their attacks.

"Stop falling for me!" Wally yelled as Artemis simultaneously shouted, "Stay out of my way!" They hurriedly tried to disentangle their limbs, but the other waterbender blasted them off.

Now by himself, Robin worked to dodge all three of the Cobras' attacks. "I'm getting really tired of always being the last one out here. This is definitely not asterous," he muttered to himself. "Alright, focus." He took a breath and started using airbending moves to circle, weave, and duck all the elements. _Just hold this zone_, he thought to himself as he side stepped an earth disk. But his dodge put him in the path of the firebender's blast and he skidded over the back line, one second before the bell chimed. "No," he whispered angrily, and saw the Cobras' silent but smug faces as they prepared for the next round. _I hope Wally and Artemis pull themselves together; otherwise we can kiss our chances at the tournament and proving ourselves to the JL goodbye_. He looked to where his teammates were reentering, a new look of determination in their eyes.

12345678987654321

As soon as they hit the water, Wally and Artemis wrenched themselves apart and swam to the surface. "Ugh! This is getting us nowhere!" Artemis huffed as they pulled themselves onto the ledge. Wally looked up, watching his best friend fight alone for the team for the third round in a row. First the near catastrophe with Roy, and now this match, Robin was holding up the Traught Tigerdillos all on his own. This was supposed to be a great night; they were supposed to be in the champion tournament after today, winning this match together as a team, now he wasn't so sure they would make it if they didn't make some changes. He watched Artemis angrily wring the water out of her hair. Wally wasn't an idiot, despite what Artemis may have thought. The reason they were losing so bad was due to his and Artemis's earlier fight. Their heads weren't in it tonight. Wally sighed, and decided to temporarily swallow his pride and his anger for the good of his team. Before he could change his mind, he went to Artemis's side.

"What do you want?" she snapped, avoiding his gaze.

Wally took a deep breath and spoke in a rush, "Listen, I know we hate each other right now but we're still a team. And last time I checked both of us wanted to win the tournament to prove something, but we're not going to be able to do that if we're fighting."

Artemis remained still for a moment, but then nodded slowly. "Fine," she conceded, instead of saying "You're right." She stuck her right hand out. "Truce?"

"For now," Wally agreed and they shook hands.

The bell sounded and the announcer declared the Cobras the winners for round two. "One last shot," Artemis observed and shared a look with Wally. They found their feelings mirrored in each other's eyes: determination to win, hope, excitement, slight distrust, adrenaline, and a desire to overcome their obstacles. As they were raised to the arena, they noticed Robin's curious look and strode confidently into the ring.

Again, the elements flew through the air at the bell chime, but now the Traught Tigerdillos noticed the Cobras' exhaustion. _They've used up all their tricks_ thought Wally, finding it easier to dodge their attacks and land his own effective hits. _Now, it's our turn_. Contrasting their performance in the first two rounds, Robin, Wally, and Artemis moved liked an oiled machine, just like they had practiced for the past couple of days. They worked together, synchronizing their attacks and knocking the Cobras into the last zone. The Traught Tigerdillos shared a smile, blocking the Cobras' weak counterattacks as they moved into Cobra territory. Then, in harmony they suddenly changed opponents, shooting their respective elements across the ring and knocking all three Cobras off the back end.

The crowd roared and the trio jumped for joy, enjoying their victory. Robin and Wally shared a bro hug while Artemis smiled broadly, waving and enjoying the crowd's cheering. Robin came up behind her saying, "Way to get traught." Her smile widened and they high fived. She looked at Wally who stared back awkwardly. "Nice shot," he finally said.

"You weren't too bad yourself, Flash Boy," she teased. Robin cackled at Wally's face and put both arms around them as they waved to their fans.

After a good seven minutes of waving, they rode a platform back to their private room where their mentors were waiting. "Nice job, Kiddos," said the Flash, ruffling Wally's hair when they came in, "You really came alive in that last round."

GA smiled proudly at Artemis, "See? You're a natural! You just got to learn to relax earlier on." Now, Artemis had been grinning for so long and so that wide she felt like her face would be permanently frozen with the new compliment. "Thanks, Uncle Ollie." He squeezed her shoulder, giving her a warm smile.

Robin approached Batman, waiting for the usual critiques and comments from the Dark Knight. "Your performance was sufficient." Robin nodded, acknowledging the less than stellar earlier performance of the team, but pleased Batman didn't consider it completely horrible. "Stay focused, and make sure your teammates remember that too. That almost cost you tonight." The Boy Wonder held his mentor's gaze, storing the advice in his memory.

The bonding moments were interrupted by a probending official entering the room. "Congratulations on your admittance into the Champion Probending Tournament, Traught Tigerdillos." The chorus of hoots and clapping bounced of the room's walls. When the cheers subsided, the official continued, "It is my duty to remind you that in order to compete in the tournament, an entrance fee of 30,000 yuans is needed to pay for advertising, paperwork, tournament advertisers, and so on. When can you pay the fee?"

"Now," replied Batman coolly, pulling out a wad of bills hidden in his black cloak and handed it to the official, who accepted it and left the room. Wally and Robin noticed Artemis's expression of relief. Soon, other members of the Justice Lotus and their apprentices filtered in, offering congratulations to the teens. Wally saw M'gann in the doorway, and made a beeline for her when he felt himself get tugged to the side by Artemis's firm grip.

"Need something?" he asked confused.

Artemis seemed unsure for a moment before saying, "About earlier? I, well, I guess, technically.." Wally tapped his foot impatiently as she stuttered. " I don't….hate you. I just don't really…. like you…especially when you turn into a jerk, but even then I don't completely hate you."

Wally was taken aback for a moment. He most certainly wasn't expecting her to say that. He had anticipated perhaps a scathing remark or threat to keep her secret, or maybe even an apology or for her to beg forgiveness. He hadn't predicted her shy and genuine confession; and he was even more surprised when he realized he felt the same way. "I don't hate you either," he replied and Artemis's eyes widened slightly. "But I still don't like or trust you either." Then, Wally stepped away from her and moved back to Megan shouting "Babe! Did you see that last move? Pretty awesome, right? Well, there's a lot more where that came from!"

Artemis sighed and took in her surroundings, a little overwhelmed by the happiness and general camaraderie of the group. After a couple of minutes of observing them, one of the other teenage girls she'd seen practicing in the JL's gym, Zatanna, saw Artemis's expression and walked over to her. "You were great tonight," she said. Megan, having temporarily escaped Wally's attentions, joined them. "She's right," she supplied.

Artemis shrugged it off. "Not that great. Those first two rounds were horrible."

"But you still came back strong in that last round. Believe me, I didn't do half as good when I tried out for the Tigerdillos," Megan reassured her as Zatanna nodded. "Yeah, don't count yourself out just yet."

Artemis gave them a small smile, not used to authentic kindness they showed. "Thanks." Artemis stifled a yawn. "Look, it's been fun, but I better be getting home."

Megan's face fell. "So soon? But don't you want to stay for the after party? I made desserts."

Artemis waved her off. "I'll be fine. Thanks, though."

"Alright, I guess we'll see you around then," commented Zatanna.

"Sure." Artemis nodded and snuck out of the room, waving a quick goodbye to GA.

12345678987654321

An hour later, after changing out of her probending uniform, Artemis was walking through the dark streets to the rundown apartment she shared with her mom. Suddenly, a tall dark shadow jumped into her path. She promptly got into a fighting stance, a blaze in each hand. "Step into the light," she barked.

The shadow walked forward. "Nice technique, almost makes me think you really are GA's niece, but we both know that's not true," a measured voice answered, coming from a tall red head, dressed in firebending gear.

"Let me guess, Roy Harper, GA's old apprentice," said Artemis, relaxing her pose but keeping one flame in her hand so she could see him better.

"The one and only. Still, GA and Bats must have a good reason for lying, so your secrets safe with me. For now." He leaned in close, his voice taking a threatening tone. "But I warn you. _Don't hurt my friends_." After delivering his threat, Roy confidently turned and retreated back into the darkness. Artemis's shoulders slumped, letting the fire in her hands die out as she slowly made her way home.

12345678987654321

A/N: Tada! Chapter 2 is finished! Woooweee that took a while. I thought that was going to be a short chapter. Maybe all these chapters will end up long. This may not have been the most exciting chapters, but the next two will get interesting, I promise. And there'll be more team interactions between the whole team, not just Robin, Wally, and Artemis. Still, I hope you liked this chapter.

Some notes: I tried to show the points of view of the trio, hopefully it wasn't too confusing. And yes, Wally was a big jerk head to Artemis, and was unfair, but I was trying to show Wally's impulsiveness, his feelings of betrayal, and worry for his bro, Robin. So don't bash me for misinterpreting his and Artemis's relationship because I know they don't have a hateful relationship, but I decided to stir up some drama early on. Also, I have picked out an Amon for this story, any ideas on who he is? Note* he is a comic book character. Also, feel free to toss in you Amon theories for the regular Legend of Korra series too.

And while you're at it, please leave a review or constructive criticism; it really encourages me to write more and faster. Also, for previews and updates on this story, YLoJ, and my other writings, check out my tumblr: chaneldancegrl . tumblr. com (leave out the spaces)


	3. Chapter 3

Young Legends of Justice Chapter 3

A/N: Enjoy!

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize.**

12345678987654321

"We should go out," Wally said suddenly, munching around several of Megan's cookies. The earth bender had generously given the probending trio a batch of deserts after their recent training session, and now they were lounging in the only clean space in the training room. The trio had left a mess in their wake after three straight hours of practice. Although the probending trio still practiced and competed, they also had been practicing with the other apprentices of the Justice Lotus who had immediately welcomed Artemis into their group. Much to Wally's disappointment, she had been getting along well with the other girls, especially Megan and Zatanna. More than once he had caught the girls laughing while glancing in his direction, after which Wally would stare at them confusedly before walking away, resulting in more snickering.

Now the fire bender shot Wally a startled look. "What? Did Megan put cactus juice in the cookies again or has your bad air bending technique swirled your brain into soup?"

Wally snorted and rolled his eyes. "What's your problem? You're the one who lives in the city. You know, _outside_ of the Cave," he said, referring to the team's nickname for their secluded training grounds and head quarters of the JL inside a mountain on the edge of the Republic City harbor.

Artemis fought the warmth rising to her face, realizing she had misinterpreted his question. "Oh…yeah. Shouldn't be too hard." She waved her hand around nonchalantly.

"What'd you think I meant?" he asked, genuinely confused.

Artemis faltered, looking at Robin who just amusedly watched their interaction. She took a breath, trying to relax and come up with an answer. "That…you…wanted to go out to the top of the mountain, which would be absolutely crazy."

"Is the big tough Arty afwaid of a wittle heights?" Wally cooed.

"No! It's just cold out there. Freezing." Artemis looked away from two pairs of eyes, one smirking and the other studying. "I hate the cold," she muttered.

Luckily Robin decided to step in before Wally could open his mouth again. "Yeah, we should head out tonight. Not that we need to find any new teammates," they all shared a smile, but Robin noticed Wally's and Artemis less than enthusiastic expressions, and decided to deal with it later. "But we've done well in the probending arena the last couple of matches. Why don't we try our hand patrolling the city?"

Again the two other teammates glanced warily at each other but nodded. Robin and Wally hadn't been out since the day they had found Artemis. With new found confidence from probending victories and Artemis as their guide, they could do some good for someone in the city, even if it was only stopping a one man robbery. They had to start somewhere.

"Artemis, do you think you could stay here for the night?" asked Robin.

"Yeah, I'll just call my mom and tell her I'm doing some team bonding or whatever."

"Asterous. Meet at the east exit of the cave exactly fifteen minutes after curfew. And try to dress in dark clothes. We don't need every criminal or cop to know we're out tonight."

"Won't Batman know we left?" asked Artemis.

"Of course he will. But as long as we don't get ourselves killed or totally blow our cover, we'll be fine," Rob replied casually.

"What about the others?" asked Wally. "Eventually they'll be out there too, saving people. Why not do it with us?"

"Because it'll be easier to pull off with just the tree of us. If we have more, it'd be complicated and hard to get things done." Robin thought for a moment. "Well, I guess we could add one more to our group so we could pair off. I'm thinking Zatanna," he suggested as Wally and Artemis simultaneously said, "Megan" and "Conner." There was an awkward moment of silence.

"Or," drawled Robin, "since we can't agree maybe it'll be just us three." They simply nodded and saw their mentors walking towards them.

"Time for private training," Batman said. Robin gracefully hopped from his seat and followed him away.

Wally shot the Avatar a glare, realizing the implications of Robin's first plan. _We'll talk later_, he thought and leisurely strolled away from Artemis, ignoring her glares as she stood in the middle of the mess they had made during practice.

Artemis huffed as GA and the Flash observed the scene before them. Flash frowned before saying, "Don't worry. I'll take care of him," and escorted his nephew out of the room.

GA walked over to Artemis who had irritably righted a fallen stand of weights. Their practice earlier had included a menagerie of exercises and activities. Equipment and weights lay haphazardly, targets were charred or soaked, and broken clay pieces were scattered around the room. They were planning on cleaning up together, but had gotten side tracked with cookies, their evening's plan, and being pulled away by their mentors. Wally knew it bugged Artemis when things were messy and out of place. Whether he left her the job just because he was lazy and wanted to annoy her, or because he still fostered resentment and anger from the night of their first probending match and this was his form of passive aggressiveness, she wasn't sure.

Artemis mentally groaned at the memory; Jade knew exactly what buttons to push and when to push them. If she couldn't figure out a way to keep her sister and old life out of her new one, she'd be done for. Batman and GA may not have cared, but she doubted Wally or Robin would let her stay on the team with her history.

She started picking up the weights and putting them back into the stand. Cleanliness was a trait she had picked up after living with her mom in a shabby apartment in the rough area on the outskirts of Republic City. She knew their living arrangements weren't pretty, but she worked to make sure everything was clean so her mom wouldn't have to work so hard trying to clean it herself or move around in her wheelchair. She loved her mother and would do anything to keep her safe and help her out in any way that she could, even if meant cleaning. She didn't love cleaning up all the time, but her mother was really the only person she had left, and it was worth it.

Though in some ways, her cleaning habits may have come from her dad; not because he was a neat freak but because he trained her to "Leave it like it what when you entered. No one should be able to know you were there." Granted this lesson was only applied in cases of espionage, but those were her specialty and those instances were often. And even though she had given up that life, some of the tips and tricks had stuck, and it was easy to tell that the three young benders had practiced in the training room.

Artemis shook thoughts of her father out of her head and went to throw away charred targets when she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"You can leave it. We'll have someone else clean it up," GA said calmly. "You don't have to." Though he didn't say it out loud, Artemis still heard _You're not alone any more. You have people to look after you._ She stopped and breathed a sigh of relief before dropping the garbage and following him out.

12345678987654321

While walking down the dark hallway after curfew, Robin felt a rush of air on his left side and saw his best friend pop up next to him, eating a piece of fruit. Robin raised an eyebrow at his friend; he had the dark clothes thing covered with a black and grey suit that covered his whole body with a small red lightning bolt in the middle, a mask for his face, and even dark red goggles.

"What's with the goggles? And shouldn't you have eaten before hand?" he finally asked.

Wally lifted one finger. "One, have you ever tried to see in a tornado? It's hard and there's tons of things flying around and wacking you in the face. Plus, if any one sees my majestic green eyes, they'll immediately know who I am, and thus who we are. I have to protect our identities." He lifted another finger. "And two, _I'm hungry_, dude. Flash's been working me hard all day. Plus, this apple doesn't leave any crumbs." By now, Wally's eyes had adjusted to the dark and he took in his friend's outfit. "At least I don't have a cape and mask."

"Hey, capes are asterous. Why do you think Bats, Manhunter, and Superman have them? And you don't get to judge the mask. You got your protective eye gear, I have mine. And the ladies love masks, more than they do goggles," he replied with a smirk. Wally pouted and they continued down the corridor in silence for a moment.

Suddenly Wally burst out, "Dude, you know that little plan of yours, to add another member to our team tonight?"

"I know of it."

"If we had added Zatanna, I would've been paired with Artemis." He frowned. "I'm not an idiot; I'm your friend. I know you would've gone with Z. How could you even think of leaving me with that harpy?"

Robin shrugged, undisturbed by Wally's reaction. "So? You and Artemis need to get better at working with each other. I don't know what happened between you two. At first, you guys seemed to be able to tolerate each other, now I don't know any more. I heard you left her hanging after practice today."

"Someone else would've gotten it," argued Wally.

"She didn't know that. Usually we don't make that much of a mess, and when we do we clean up after ourselves. You know she would've tried to clean it by herself."

Now Wally shrugged. "We had to train with our mentors. Not my fault she didn't know we had people to help out with that stuff."

Robin groaned. "Dude, you seriously need to lay off her."

"Why should I?" asked Wally angrily. "I don't trust her, and neither should you. Do you know what she was doing before our first match?" Wally was stopped by Robin's harsh glare.

"For once, can you just shut your mouth for a few moments?" He put his head around the corner, Wally peering over his shoulder to see Artemis and GA in discussion, right in front of their meeting place.

12345678987654321

Artemis pulled on the long black fingerless gloves she wore, glancing around a dark corner before walking to the exit. She rolled her shoulders back and cracked her neck, a smile coming to her face._ I can't wait to get out there and take some bad guys down._ She looked around and crossed her arms impatiently. _Where are they? And people say girls take forever to get ready._ She snorted.

Suddenly, she heard an amused voice. "Going somewhere?"

Artemis whipped around, a fireball in hand, and met the smiling eyes of GA. The flame sputtered and decreased to a soft glow. "Oh, I was just…exploring the Cave."

"At night?" he asked, still sounding entertained. "In dark clothes, standing in front of one of the old, rarely used exits?"

Artemis swallowed nervously, knowing she'd been caught.

GA chuckled. "Don't worry. I'm not going to rat you out."

"You're not?"

"Nope," he replied, popping the p sound. "I think it's good that you guys are getting some experience. You guys'll need it. You're not bad at fighting, but you'll need the hands on experience, to create your own fighting styles, something that has to be learned, but can't be taught. I have faith in you. But in case things get sticky," he handed her a rocket small enough to fit in her utility belt, "set this off and I'll come find you."

Artemis smiled. "Thanks Ollie." She quickly put it in her pocket, not intending to use it tonight.

He returned the smile before becoming serious. "Listen, I'm sorry the boys have been rough on you. Well, mostly Kid Flash. He and Roy were really good friends and I don't think he's gotten over you taking his place, yet."

Artemis swiped a hand horizontally in front her. "Don't worry, I can handle them. If Wally doesn't like me, he's just going to have to deal with it." She looked over GA's shoulder and saw her teammates peeking around a corner at her. Robin looked patient while Wally looked suspicious. Artemis mentally rolled her eyes. _He really needs to get over himself._

GA noticed her eyes flicker away from him. "They're right behind me, aren't they?"

Artemis smirked. "Yep."

GA smiled again. "Well, we don't want to keep them waiting. Go get'em, Artemis." She nodded and GA gave an exaggerated yawn. "Goodnight, Artemis. I'm off to bed, to sleep for seven hours straight and stay in my room the whole night. See you in the morning for training Artemis," he said loudly, before walking away.

Artemis rolled her eyes and smiled at his retreating form before facing her teammates, placing a hand on her hip and jutting it out to the side. "You boys coming or what?" she called after GA was out of earshot.

The boys walked out from their hiding spot. Wally wasted no time in asking, "So did you rat us out?"

Artemis glared. "No. I don't do that to my teammates."

Wally huffed and Robin sighed_. I've got work to do._ "Alright, let's just head out before any more mentors catch us, ok?"

They nodded and proceeded out the exit.

12345678987654321

Robin, Wally, and Artemis took in the sight of the Republic City from their perch on a tall building. The moon and night still dominated the sky, though they were slowly making way for the rising morning. Still, the dark provided cover as the heroes stopped to rest from their escapades. So far, the trio had stopped four robberies and broken up two minor street fights, one between hobos over a fishing spot, and had received no major injuries. Robin felt confident that they could call their night a success so far.

The sight of several dark figures suspiciously ghosting through the darkness drew the Boy Wonder's attention. "KF, Artemis, you still up for one more round?"

He was met with mutual grins and followed the moving shadows from the rooftops. They pursued them until they reached the suspects' intended destination, an old government office. In the blink of an eye, the criminals had the few guards on watch unconscious. The heroes nodded to each other and snuck into the government building, finding their targets rifling through old file cabinets. Robin nodded to Wally who sent small bursts of air to the lamps in the room, covering the office in darkness save for the moonlight filtering in through the window. The robbers stiffened, but Robin's trademark cackle had them whirling around into battle positions.

"Who's there?" called out the middle one. "A bunch of scaredy cats too afraid to fight face to face?"

A sharp blast of wind knocked the foe on the right against the wall, startling the other two. The one in the middle blindly shot ice in the heroes' general direction. They quickly dodged it and Artemis threw a fireball, narrowly missing the guy on the left's head.

"Icicle Jr," the guy on the left said, "Let's get out of here. It's not worth it."

Robin felt Artemis freeze next to him.

"No, Black Spider. We have a job to do, and I'm not going to let some freaks hiding in the shadows stop that. My dad's going to respect me for once, even if I have to bring him their heads on a platter," he growled and formed a giant block of ice around his hand. Black Spider created a giant flame, lighting up the room so the opponents faced each other for the first time.

Icicle Jr. leapt forward, swinging his arm at Robin. Robin dodged and froze Icicle Jr.'s feet together, bringing him to the ground. He struggled to turn around and dislodge his feet, but stopped upon seeing Artemis's shocked face.

Wally took on Black Spider, swirling and extinguishing the flames as they grew closer and moved on to hand to hand combat.

Robin, on the other hand, went after the other gang member who had gained consciousness and was going through more files. "Looking for something?" the young boy asked and swung a fist at him. His opponent easily grabbed his fist and threw him against the wall, but not before he saw the Black Manta gang symbol on the thief's glove. Robin mentally filed the symbol away, and met the Black Manta follower's attack with a water strike. Their area soon became drenched as the two water benders went after each other, Robin constantly moving and sliding out of reach of the attacks.

Suddenly, everyone in the room heard a surprised "Artemis?" from the criminal on the floor.

The girl's two teammates swung their heads in her direction, as she stuttered back, "C-cam?"

"What are _you_ doing here, babe? Speaking of bad fathers-"he was cut off by Artemis's boot slamming into his back.

Black Spider and Black Manta's henchman took advantage of their enemies' shock, and made hard blows, Robin was shoved against the wall under a rush of water, left gasping for air, and Wally was burned on his side.

Artemis threw flames at the two escaping criminals, who surrounded her and attacked as once.

"Guys, don't!" cried Icicle Jr., as she got hosed down and then electrocuted. Artemis cried out and fell to the floor as the enemies freed their fallen teammate, stuffed a ripped piece of paper in their pocket and fled.

The trio groaned and slowly picked themselves up when they heard the wail of sirens. Some of the guards must've come to and called for backup. Robin grabbed the rest of the torn paper. Then, they both helped Artemis to her feet, climbed out a window and moved over a couple of roof tops before climbing down into an alley.

They recovered in silence, hearing nothing but their own attempts to steady their breathing. Suddenly Wally shouted at Artemis, "What was that, huh? More sneaking around, keeping secrets, being friends with notorious criminals?" He got into her face. "What's the end game, huh? To get us to throw the tournament? To rob from the Justice Lotus? To be some sort of spy? Or is it something bigger like trying to manipulate or _kill_ the Avatar?"

"No!" Artemis shouted back but he didn't seem to hear her.

"How could you! After everything the JL's done for you? After everything _we_ did for you? We trusted you! "

Artemis snorted. "Trusted me? Please you _never_ trusted me! You've always had it out for me or were waiting for me to screw up! Just because I took precious little Roy's place doesn't mean I'm the bad guy!"

Now it was Wally's turn to stare in disbelief. "You think that's why I don't like you? Yeah, it was at first, but you actually turned out to be a good addition to the team. And then I realized you were lying and sneaking around with the Shadows!"

"I don't have anything to do with the Shadows!" snapped Artemis. _Not anymore. They just won't leave me alone._ Artemis shook those thoughts away.

"Then what was with that secret meeting before our first match and you getting paid off for helping the Shadows? Huh? And how do you happen know Icicle Jr. on a first name business? And what's with your father?" Wally knew he was being unfair, but he was angry and tired of being deceived. And to add to his anger, he was furious at even the possibility that this girl could be plotting to hurt his best friend. No one was going to be able to get away with it, not on his watch. Artemis wasn't going to escape this time.

"Hey, Kid Suspicious, ever heard of what happens when you assume?" she snarled. She was tired of Wally getting on her case. She wanted nothing more than to leave that life behind; as if it wasn't hard with her sister popping up and randomly seeing Cameron again, now Wally wouldn't let her forget.

Wally ground his teeth. "Listen, I don't know who you think you are, but if you think I'm going to let you get away with hurting my best friend-"

"KF, stop!" shouted Robin, pushing his way in between his teammates, which was a hard feat considering they were about an inch apart. "Artemis isn't out to sabotage us."

Wally's slaw went slack and Artemis was surprised as well. Wally spoke first. "How, what, you, but I, how can you say that? You don't even know-"

"You need to give her the benefit of the doubt. If she wanted me dead, I wouldn't be standing here. She had a million opportunities to do it already," replied Robin, trying to stay patient.

"Dude! You're defending her?"

Artemis glared at Wally, but still glanced at Robin warily.

"Yes, I am. I trust her. She's a part of this team," Robin said calmly, "You need to relax and think about what you're saying, Wally. You're smarter than that."

Kid Flash angrily threw his hands up in the air. "I can't believe this!" He turned around and stalked out of the alleyway.

Robin glanced at the fire bender. "You can stop staring. Best friends fight, even the Avatar and his best friend," he teased.

Artemis blinked quickly. "You didn't have to-"

He shook his head and stuck his hand out. "Yes, I did. He was being a jerk."

"He wasn't totally off base," she muttered.

"I know."

"You know? What do you mean exactly? How much do you know?" Artemis backed up slowly.

"A lot."

Artemis looked at him confused again. "But then why? How?"

"I'm the apprentice of the Great Detective. It's in my genes to be able to figure it out. And… it wasn't hard to sneak into his files. Don't worry, it's just GA, Bats, and I that know."

"And you don't want to kick me off the team?"

"No. I meant what I said just now. But you don't have to tell the team until you're ready. Your secret's safe with me." He put covered his heart with both his hands, completely sincere.

"And what about Wally?" she asked looking where she last saw him.

"He just needs to cool off. I'll talk to him later. Meanwhile, we'll have to analyze this more later." He took out the other half of paper the criminals had taken and briefly glanced at it. "It has to mean something, but I don't know what. Why would they break into an old government building to steal some records of old grievances against the government?"

12345678987654321

Wally angrily kicked a lost shoe out of his path, muttering to himself. He ran his fingers through his fiery red hair, trying to regain his breath. True, he had been very intense and angry at Artemis, and he didn't regret calling her out, but maybe he should've taken time to organize his thoughts better or tried talking to the mentors first. Now he was tired, his muscles ached, his friend was angry with him, he had probably made an enemy out of Artemis, and was now wandering the streets alone. He groaned and rubbed his face. _So much for being a great night._

There was a commotion around the corner, stopping Wally in his tracks as he peered around it. There appeared to be a face off, the start of a fight from the looks on the people's faces as they stared each other down.

"You Rogues have crossed into our territory for the last time!" a harsh voice barked and a large, ripped man stepped forward. "Prepare to pay."

The leader from the other side, a tall man with loose clothing, long black hair and a goatee, chuckled and waved his hand. "Please, you couldn't last a second in a fight with us, Injustice Society."

_Abra Kadabra_, realized Wally. He remembered hearing his uncle's stories about him, how his bark was worse than his bite, but was still dangerous. He covered his eyes with his goggles and started running to stop the fight.

"Let's test that theory," replied the other, pounding his fist into his palm. Black Adam, guessed Wally, though he wasn't as familiar with him. The two gangs started their attacks and soon the whole square was a mess of flying elements. Kid Flash dodged a fireball that nearly singed his hair. "That was close," he muttered before calling out. "Hey! Knock it off! Stop fighting!"

However, the gang members either ignored him or briefly smiled at his naivety before resuming their fight. Wally frowned and moved onto physical methods, hitting a few of them and temporarily knocking them out. Out of the corner of his eye, he thought he saw a relatively elderly man on the edge of the battle, using some water bending to stop members of both gangs. He shook it off, returning his focus to his main objective. _I have to get to the leaders. They're the only ones who can call it off._ Wally looked around and saw the two men duking it out in the middle, Kadabra's fire against Adam's earth. He went to grab the back of Kadabra's collar when there was a loud boom followed by a voice amplified by a megaphone on top of a low building. Wally stared at the strange man, wearing green and purple, confused. _Who _is_ this guy?_ thought Wally.

"I am flora, not fauna. I am foliage, not trees. What am I?" asked the man. The benders became silent and shared curious looks. The man sighed and rolled his eyes tiredly. "Come on, you can get this. I am shrubbery, not grass. What am I? I…" Most of the gang members remained confused, but some understood the riddle and began to move away.

"Ambushed," finished Wally. Suddenly, Equalists appeared, surrounding the gang members. Chaos ensued as some gang members tried to fight back while others ran. Wally moved through the mess, trying to avoid getting pushed around, or hit by an element, a weapon, or getting electrocuted. There was a small clearing, and Wally put on a burst of speed but ended up ramming into an Equalist. He stared into the glowing green eyes, fear simmering in the pit of his stomach as he struggled against the firm grip. Wally shot a blast of air against the Equalist's head, hoping to knock the helmet off and disorientate him, but it merely pushed him back.

Wally turned to run, but felt sharp jabs to his legs and arms, before falling face first to the ground. Wally lifted his head to spit out dirt and saw a second Equalist standing before him. They started to tie him up, and he desperately tried to move his limbs to no avail. "Let me go! I'm not part of any gang," Wally argued but received no response other than being thrown into the back of a large truck with other gang members and the older man he had seen earlier. Though they had been ruthlessly fighting before, Wally noticed that cronies from both gangs had a similar look in their eyes, fear. Wally was sure his reflected the same emotion as the engine started and the truck drove away.

12345678987654321

A/N: Tada! *insert gif of Bart Allen/ Impulse jumping through smoke, arms wide shouting Tadah!* Oh and as a note, the black manta henchman was not Kaldur, just clearing that up. Both shows had insanely crazy amazingly awesome episodes today. I love my speedster family and Red Arrow/Cheshire/Lian family! And in the Legend of Korra, bringing bloodbending back? Ohhh stuff's going to go down! I'm so excited. Also, for those who don't know yet, after next week's episode of YJ, there will be a hiatus. When it will end? We don't know yet, but we can survive this, I promise! Anyway, tell me what you think so far, comments, constructive criticism, etc. Bonus points to whoever can pick guess what major characters are coming in the next chapter. Also, I post previews and mini drabbles on my tumblr chaneldancegrl . tumblr. com (with no spaces). Feel free to check it out! Thanks for reading!


	4. Chapter 4

Young Legends of Justice Chapter 4

A/N: Sorry this is so late guys. I know the hiatus is going to suck, but we have lots of great fanfic writers, artists, video editors, and gif creators to tide us over. Keep an eye out for them, there'll be sure to be a swell coming up since we won't have new episodes to tide us over. I hope this chapter helps even a little bit, for both fandoms.

**Also to point out: The Riddler is **_**not**_** Amon. Sorry for any confusion. Think of him as a leader of some henchman, he's just a bigger name than some random people on the street. He does work for Amon though, but even he doesn't know Amon's true identity. Will you know his identity after reading this?**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything recognizable in here.**

12345678987654321

Artemis put her breakfast dishes away and bid farewell to the other young protégés, minus the two boys she had spent the past night with, as they finished their food.

Speaking of the boys, she went to go find them for their daily practice session and found the training room empty and clean. She frowned and went to Robin's room, trying to stall facing Wally after their disagreement from the night before. She knocked repeatedly on door, growing increasingly frustrated. Still no answer. She groaned; normally the duo couldn't leave her alone, but now when she needed them they were gone. Artemis made her way to the center of the facility, where the meeting rooms were located and where the JL members spent most of their time, hoping one of them had seen her teammates.

She tried not to stare as she saw some of the famous Justice Lotus members walking down the halls, such as Wonder Woman, John Stewart, Hawkgirl, and Captain Marvel. Some of them gave her a smile, while others continued on, minding their own business. However, Captain Marvel, a fellow firebender known for his powerful lightning strikes and positive persona, stopped and startled Artemis by giving her a big hug. She looked at him curiously when they separated and he gave her a sheepish grin. "Sorry, I just think you're great. That last tournament? The way you faked that one guy out and came in with the flames like 'Whoosh' and then started hammering him all "pew pew pew'" he exclaimed, complete with waving his arms around and jabbing the air. "Maybe I'll use some of those moves next time."

"Uh, thanks, Captain. Have you seen Robin or Kid Flash around?"

He nodded. "Bats and Rob were talking in the room at the end of the hall. It looked kind of intense."

"Alright, I'll go talk to them." She stared at Captain Marvel who was still standing in her path with a huge grin on his face. "Right now."

"Ok! Good luck." Still no movement.

She moved forward and to the left a bit. "Can I get through?"

"Huh? Oh sure, sure." He slapped his forehead with his hand. "Sorry about that. Bye Artemis!" he cried loudly and waved enthusiastically to her retreating from.

She gave a quick wave back and hurried down the hall, a little unnerved by the hero's excitement. _Nice guy, but I need a little less fanboy and bit more Wonder Boy_ she thought, seeing the Boy Wonder and his mentor talking in the room. She knocked on the wall by the entrance, announcing her presence. Despite her desperation to find her teammates, she didn't want to get on the Dark Knight's bad side by jumping into their serious looking conversation.

They both looked up at her, Batman as stoic as ever and Robin appearing frustrated.

"Artemis. Did you need something?" Batman asked.

"I thought we had practice this morning and couldn't find the boys." She crossed her arms, suspicion creeping through her veins. "What's going on?"

"Kid Flash is missing," came his simple reply.

"What? But we just saw him last night!" Artemis's mined reeled back, remembering their unauthorized adventure. "At dinner," she amended.

Batman glared slightly but continued. "He must've snuck out after dinner, and he hasn't returned. The Flash says he didn't go to see his family and he's not at the arena."

She shared a look with Robin, remembering their last sight of Wally was him storming angrily away from them into the dark night of Republic City. "We'll find him."

"No. This has become a Justice Lotus priority."

"But he's _our_ teammate!" Robin yelled angrily with a hint of exasperation coloring his tone; it was obvious that this was the topic of their earlier argument. "_We_ should be the ones to find him."

Batman glared. "True, but he is a minor and an apprentice under the supervision of The Flash and the Justice Lotus. We have better resources and means of finding him."

"Then, let us help at least," tried Artemis.

"No. It would be easier and less time consuming if we don't have to worry about you getting lost or running into trouble too. The Lotus will take care of it." With a swish of his cape, he left the room.

Artemis looked at the boy and put her hands on her hips, a knowing smile coming to her face. "Let me guess, we're not going to listen to him, right?"

Robin returned the grin. "When are you ready to leave?"

12345678987654321

Artemis found herself standing outside the Avatar's door several hours later, just about to knock when the door swung open. "How'd you-"

He shrugged. "Lucky guess. Now let's get out of here before anyone knows we're gone." He silently closed the door and they made their way down the hallway. It was just after dinner and all the mentors were either training or discussing how to find Wally. It would be a while before anyone noticed their absence. As they rounded the corner, they ran into five other teenagers, also dressed in dark clothes. They stared at each other warily.

"So…." Robin drawled, "going out for a midnight stroll?"

Kaldur opened his mouth to reply but was cut off by Conner. "Are we really going to pretend we don't know what the other's doing or are we going to go find Wally?"

The teenagers shared smiles.

"You'd guys really risk the Lotus's fury about disobeying their orders to help find him?" asked Artemis.

"We may not be as close to Kid Flash as you two are," replied Kaldur as Artemis snorted, thinking about the previous night. "But we are all still friends. We train together, and may be a team together in the future. The best possible way to find him is if we work together. We can spread and search for him without the Justice Lotus hovering over us."

Robin nodded, glancing at Zatanna who had a determined expression and shot him an encouraging smile. "Sounds asterous to me."

"Good. What do you need us to do?"

12345678987654321

The teens had decided to split into three groups to better maximize their search: Megan, Artemis, and Zatanna would take the market place to see if the food attracted had attracted Wally for a visit; Kaldur and Conner would patrol the rough parts of town to see if he got on the wrong side of some gang members; and Raquel and Robin would retrace the probending team's steps of the night before to see if he returned to any of those places. They would meet up in two hours in the town square to regroup and share their findings.

In a short while, Megan, Zatanna, and Artemis were walking through the market, hoping Wally had stopped to get some food and possibly had never left. Zatanna peered into a storefront window. "So what exactly are we looking for? Do you honestly think we're going to find Wally strolling down the street towards us, covered in food crumbs and telling us he'll protect us from the crazy cabbage man?"

Artemis barked out a laugh. "Yeah, I doubt that's going to happen. Who knows, maybe he stuffed himself silly and is just sleeping it off in some alleyway."

Megan stopped, a stricken look on her face at the thought of Wally lying in a dark, cold space, all alone. "What if that's exactly where he is and he doesn't know how to get back? What if he's hurt? What if he's unconscious?"

"I'm sure he's fine. Plus, if Wally had eaten Republic City's entire food supply, he'd probably be in jail or being chased by an angry mob. The Lotus already checked out the jail and so far I don't see or hear any angry screaming people," reassured Artemis.

"I hope so," said Megan worriedly, peering into a dark alley between some shops. The girls grew silent as they continued their search, looking quickly at stalls as the last few remaining customers bought items for the night.

Finally, Zatanna broke the silence by asking "What's probending and working with Robin and Wally like? I mean, obviously we train with you guys sometimes, but you guys still have that separate group feel."

Artemis glanced at Zatanna, detecting no malice or jealousy in her voice, just curiosity. "It's fun, I guess. I love probending, the cheering crowds, facing opponents, being on a team, and actually using bending for something fun."

"What about the guys?" chirped Megan.

Artemis hesitated before eeking out a "They're ok."

Megan and Zatanna shared a skeptical look. "You can tell us. Girls night out, no boys allowed," said Zatanna.

"Well for two hours, at least," reminded Megan, "but that's plenty of time."

The firebender looked at the girls' encouraging smiles and sighed. "It's just the usual difficulties with being on a team. You know, styles and attitudes just clash sometimes. Robin's nice most of the time when he's not trolling around. And Wally…. Well don't even get me started on him because I could go on all night. Honestly? It'd be nice if Wally didn't feel so inclined to put miscellaneous rodents and bugs into my stuff everyday or actively try to make my life miserable." _Like constantly trying to convince everyone that I'm an evil Shadow gang member who's intent on killing the Avatar and sending the world crumbling down into a pit of despair and evil._

Zatanna's eye brow shot up. "Seems to me he loves to give you special attention."

Artemis easily guessed where Z's mind was going. "No, no no no no no no. Just no! I know what you're thinking and you need to shut that down. He's so not picking on me because he has a _crush_," she grmiaced at the word, "on me. I promise, Wally doesn't like me_. At all._ You should've seen him last night."

"What happened last night?" chirped Megan.

"We… got into a fight, and Robin sided with me. That's when Wally stormed off and we haven't seen him since," mumbled Artemis while rubbing her face; she really hoped they didn't ask what the fight was about, lest raising their suspicions too.

"Poor Wally," Megan cooed. "Not that Robin wasn't right for siding with you, I'm sure he was, but Wally must be feeling pretty lonely now. He and Roy were really close until Roy quit the probending team, and Robin's his best friend. He probably felt betrayed by him. No wonder he stormed off."

"That, and he's never really been quiet about his feelings," Zatanna noted and looked under a vegetable stall.

"So, why didn't you two join the probending team?" asked Artemis, trying to steer the conversation away from their missing airbender.

"We were never asked," Megan replied simply. "They may have had us in mind, a little at least, but they saw you and knew you would fit."

Zatanna sighed tiredly. "Even if I was asked to join the team, I doubt my father would let me. He's just so overprotective. He's afraid I'd get hurt or that it'd take time away from my special studies. He never lets me miss a day of them."

Artemis pondered at the thought of having a father that was overprotective, a concept so unlike the one she grew up with, but she shook those memories away. "Well, I'll admit it can get a bit brutal in the arena. But what are you studying that's so important?"

"Mostly chakras, spiritual wellness, dealings with the Spirit World, and so on."

"I thought only the Avatar could communicate with the Spirit world." Megan stared at the female airbender confusedly.

"That's true." She stopped, drew herself up tall and said in fake, deep, professor-like voice, "but that does not mean that there are not stories to tell nor lessons that cannot be learned. It is enriching and necessary for a balanced life. Now, mediate on what I have just told you and we will pick up when the moon and sun are at balance, and the lily petals float in harmony with the river's song. You must be one with the leaves that fly through the wind towards the great ocean shores, vast deserts, and rich forests. Be the leaf."

The girls burst out laughing. "I'm sorry, that's mean," Megan choked out around her giggles.

"Don't be. I know it's ridiculous," assured Zatanna, turning her laughing face to the sky.

Artemis covered her laughter with one of her hands. When they could finally breathe, they realized they had reached the end of the market place. Artemis and Zatanna turned to see Megan looking across the market to where a sliver of bay was visible. "Megan? What is it?" Artemis asked cautiously.

"Hm? Oh, nothing. I just, remembered my own family. I miss them, is all."

"Where are they?" Zatanna followed Megan's stare.

"Basing Se. I'm just not used to being apart from them for so long. We're a big family, so there was always someone around." Megan smiled in remembrance. "When my Uncle John first brought me to Republic City to train, I was so worried that I was going to be alone and not make any friends." The earthbender turned back to the other girls. "But now I know that's not true. I have you and the rest of our group."

Zatanna hugged her. "Of course you do. We'll always be there for you." Then, Zatanna and Megan pulled Artemis into the hug as well, who though awkwardly froze at first, returned the sentiment.

"Thanks."

"That goes for you too, Artemis. We got your back. If those boys start messing with you, we'll show them how powerful girl benders can be," declared Zatanna, and the girls laughed again.

Their moment was interrupted by another cackle, coming from a tall, pale man swathed in purple clothes with short green hair lounging on a small stage by the park. "Didn't anyone teach you little girls not to go out at night?"

The young benders quickly jumped into fighting stances.

"Who are you?" Artemis snapped.

The man tapped his chin thoughtfully. "Now, that is a good question. I can't seem to remember. It changes every day, so many personalities to juggle. Now, was it that hobo who hustled a bunch of dirty benders at cards the other night? No ,no that's not it. Was I a teacher? Nope, not today. Could I be that famous new baker who opened up shop down the block? No, that doesn't seem right. Was I the boy whose parents were brutally murdered by firebenders?" He sighed in mock exasperation. "These _are_ trying times. You kiddies know that, don't you? What was it? Did you not feel like listening to your mommies and daddies little benders? Feeling like rebels? Gonna take down some tough guys with your bending tonight?" He laughed again at the idea.

"Stop joking around," said Zatanna fiercely.

The man snapped his fingers. "Ah, the Joker! How about that? You girls are smarter than you look." He grinned. "That's what Amon called me when he ordered me to spread the good news that," out of nowhere he pulled out a giant, multicolored megaphone and spoke into it. "The Revelation is here! Don't be oppressed by benders. They're crazier than I am. They don't just rain on your parades, they'll send full on tsunamis on them. Amon can save us. Join us in causing delicious mayhem for the benders. You won't regret it. See the Big Man's show tonight!" The Joker took his mouth away from the megaphone and grinned at the girls. "Go home, enjoy the few moments of your superiority while it lasts. We've got our own fireworks coming soon, and no amount of fire or water bending is going to stop them." He handed out some fliers to a couple people who came up and quickly turned their faces away from the girls as they scurried into the night.

Artemis held a fireball in her hand. "What's Amon's got planned?"

The Joker chortled again. "What are you going to do, little girl? Use your bending to torture me into revealing all my secrets? Go right ahead." He spread his arms out wide. "Prove to me and our audience that I'm right."

The girls looked around, realizing that people had gathered and were watching them.

"Well, where is it?" Megan asked, going for a less hostile approach. "Please, our friend might be in danger."

The Joker paused for a second, seeming serious before he broke out into a huge malicious grin. "Well if it's another bender, I hope Amon does have them. They'll get what's coming to them and all the other benders over the world. I hope your friend screams. I head Amon's plans are less than… pleasant." He cackled ferociously.

That ignited something in all the girls; Artemis threw a wave of fire at the man, who nimbly jumped off stage and dodged the attack. "You'll have to do-" his retort was cut off when he was vaulted into the air after Megan suddenly raised the earth he was standing on. The Joker plummeted back to the ground, until Zatanna caught him a volcano, spinning him quickly before dropping him to the ground.

The girls ran to his location as he dizzily tried to stand up to face them. He clapped his hands. "Brava, brava. That was quite a performance ladies. Sadly, I can't stay for an encore. People to give directions to, an army to build, a genius to support. You know how it goes." He threw a smoke bomb, but as Zatanna spun the smoke away, the Joker had faded into the night.

Artemis angrily kicked a rock into a tree, scattering a family of squawking pigeons into the night.

"Do you think Amon has Wally?" asked Megan worriedly.

"I really hope not," Artemis admitted, staring at the people who had fled the scene.

Zatanna picked up a wayward flyer of Amon proudly declaring a promise to equality. "It's still a possibility. We better meet up with everyone else and let them know what happened."

12345678987654321

The two powerhouses roamed the rundown and rough streets, their dark clothes allowing them to blend into the darkness.

"It's too quiet. I don't hear anything and can't feel a lot of movement on the ground," remarked Conner. "Something is off."

Kaldur nodded his head in agreement. "It is strange. Even though it is night, it does not make sense for everyone to be inside, even the gang members. This is a prime location and time for them to be out. Surely we will find a clue or someone who has information about Kid Flash's disappearance." They continued on their path, Conner feeling for suspicious vibrations such as desperate running, mobs standing about, or quick and flighty movements.

They were just about to move to another part of town when Conner turned to a scuffling sound in front of a building. They turned to look as a dark mound they had brushed off as garbage, shifted and groaned. Soon, a pair of dark beady eyes stared back at them. The figure suddenly burst from his blanket and made a mad dash down the street away from the boys. The two benders easily caught up to him; Conner grabbed his tattered collar and yanked him to stop.

"Please, please! I didn't have anything to do with it, I swear. I left the Rogues a long time ago! I'm not part of the gang. I don't use bending for that anymore! Let me go! Please, I'll do anything," the man cried, clawing desperately at Conner's hands with ice tipped nails. Conner dropped him, but locked the man between two diagonal plates of earth. The earthbender nodded to Kaldur, who calmly faced the terrified man.

"We mean you no harm, but we will not hesitate if you attempt to attack us or run again."

The man stopped struggling, but the fear didn't leave his eyes. "What do you want?"

"To begin, explain your reaction. Were you afraid of your fellow gang members coming back to hurt you?" questioned Kaldur.

The man gave a humorless guffaw. "The gangs? They're the least of anyone's worries right now."

"I think a lot of nonbenders would beg to differ," snapped Conner, causing their prisoner to go rigid.

"Then what troubles you?" Kaldur asked, ignoring Conner's comment.

"It's those crazy Equalists. Rumor has it that they're tired of the government not doing enough to stop the gangs and they're taking the law into their own hands." His eyes grew shifty, checking their surroundings as best as he could. "A lot of gangs have gone missing; their hideouts ransacked and regular hotspots abandoned. Anyone who's left either scrammed or is in deep hiding in the city somewhere, like me."

"Nice job," snorted Conner. "They won't think to look where gang members usually hang out."

"Thanks, I worked really hard on that hiding spot till you went and ruined it." Conner rolled his eyes at the snide remark.

"Enough! Both of you." Kaldur shot a glare at his comrade before turning back to the other man. "What do the Equalists plan to do with the captured benders? Surely they don't mean to kill them."

He tried to shrug, but remembered he couldn't and winced in pain. "No one knows. Sorry. Mind letting me out of here, big fella?"

Kaldur nodded but turned to find Conner moving closer to their informant. "Not so fast. You've been on the streets all night, right?" He received a nod in return. "Then where is everybody? It's not super late, but it's not exactly bed time either."

"Eh, more people are hiding tonight than usual. Seems pretty fishy to me too. Don't know why though." He thought for a moment. "You know something? I saw lots of people walking toward the old warehouse district a couple of blocks down. Not in huge crazy mobs, if you know what I mean. But in small groups. I mean, I know people work late, but I didn't think there were _that_ many night shifts." He sniffed. "Now is there anything else you guys want from me? Unlike you guys, I actually _don't_ want to know what those Equalists are up to."

Conner let him go, and they watched as he stumbled to his blankets and fled into the night.

"Do you believe him, Kal?"

Kaldur shrugged. "Perhaps. I would not make sense if he lied to us. However, we should check out the some of the warehouses, but keep to the shadows and withhold using our ….special talents."

Conner grunted his approval and together they followed their informant's directions. Soon, they found their destination: a slightly worn down and seemingly abandoned warehouse with sputtering lights and a short line of people by a back door. A body guard appeared to be regulating traffic flow, allowing most people in, but turning a few away.

"Are we sure this isn't some drug dealer's hangout?" whispered Conner as they peered around a corner.

"It's very unlikely. There would not be this many people all at once." He squinted. "It appears those gaining acceptance have some sort of paper. I do not see those walking away in possession of a paper. They must need an invitation or a pass of some sort to gain entry." Kaldur looked up, taking in the position of the moon and the darkness in the sky. "It is time for us to return to our meeting place with the rest of the team. We can discuss our discoveries with them."

With a cautious glance at the mysterious building, the two teenage boys made their way back to the town square.

123456787654321

Robin gave an exasperated sigh, turning to look at Raquel, or Rocket as she liked to be called. They had retraced all the probending trio's steps of the night before, with no hint to where Wally might be. Now they were in the alley where they had last seen Wally, still having come up with nothing. "Find anything?"

"Nope, sorry Robin. Did you guys go anywhere else last night?" He shook his head in answer. "Well, where else should we look?"

He slid down the alley wall to the ground, his head in his hands. "I don't know. Let me think for a second."

Rocket gave him a look, but went to the mouth of the alley looking around the nearby street, refusing to give up yet. There were some stragglers walking around, but they didn't pay any attention to the girl. She still couldn't find anything of use and was about to suggest they walk further down the block, when she saw a bolla wrapped around a dented street lamp, the light reflecting off the metal spheres. "Robin? I found something." Without waiting for a reply, she took off to lamp, Robin close on her heels.

"An Equalist weapon. Now _that_, is trouble. We just alized that KF might be in more danger than we thought." He turned around, taking in their surroundings and moving to the center of the road, noticing scorch marks and pot holes in the road. "It looks like there was a fight here, come check it out." When she didn't move a step, Rob turned to see her with her hands on her hips and a confused expression on her face. "What?"

"Did you just say "alized"? What does that even mean? I thought Bats taught you English," said Rocket.

TheAvatar grinned cheekily up at her. "We need to hang out more. "Alize", coming from the more known word of "realize." Re means again or repeat. We figured KF might be in trouble before, but now we understand for the first time, not again, how bad the situation might actually be. Hence, alize."

Raquel just rolled her eyes before strolling over and checking out the ground. There was a multitude of burn marks and broken rubble pieces scattered along the ground. She walked around the surrounding area, finding similar evidence. Something glimmered at the corner of her vision and she knelt down. Her hands found two small metal semi-spheres on the ground. "Smoke bombs," she muttered and showed Robin. "No doubt anymore. The question is, what were Equalists and a lot of benders doing here? This" she gestured to the street, "isn't from a just handful of Equalists and benders working themselves into a tizzy."

Robin nodded, rubbing his chin. He stiffened, feeling a pair of eyes on him. Slowly, he turned around and saw a city sweeper cleaning up some of the rubble, watching the duo before quickly averting his eyes to his work. Rocket caught his glance and nodded, walking up to the sweeper. "Hey, you! Do you know what happened here?"

Robin smiled at her bluntness; the man seemed to find it amusing too and chuckled. "Not a shy one, are ya?"

"It's not really my style." She shrugged. "Now, did you see anything?"

"I might've. Can't really remember. My, ah, memory's real foggy. I think I need something to jog the old noggin." He knocked lightly on his head and gave them a pointed look.

Robin rolled his eyes and dug some coins out of his pocket and dropped them into the man's hand.

"It's comin' back to me now! There was some turf war last night, both bender gangs." The man snorted. "Like there's really any other kind. Anyway, both groups were really going at it. Looked pretty intense, then everything changed…." He scrunched his face into a mock confused expression.

"When the firenation attacked," Rocket muttered, ignoring both guys' strange looks. Robin sighed and dumped some more money into the sweeper's outstretched hand.

"Ah, that's' better. Then, those Equalist folks showed up, led by some lame jokester with weird riddles wearing green and purple. There were Equalists folks everywhere. I did the smart thing and ran into some shop because chaos broke loose. Eventually the Equalists got the upper hand and rolled most of those benders away into trucks, didn't matter how old or young they were. Even saw some old fella getting hauled away. Poor guy."

"The benders, did you see an airbender with red hair?" asked Robin worriedly.

The man thought for a moment and Robin was ready to use some of Batman's interrogation techniques when the man snapped his fingers. "Oi, I think I did. Not many airbenders around these parts, I was shocked to see em here. Friend of yours?"

The two teens nodded.

"Poor fella. Don't know where they took em, but I'm guessing it ain't somewhere pretty. Sorry, kids." He went back to sweeping rubble.

"We need to tell the others, now," Robin said, and they took off running toward the city's center square.

When they got there, they saw that the rest of their friends had already arrived. Choruses of "You'll never guess what we found out," "guys, we got news," "this one guy told us the craziest thing but it might help," sprung from their throats as they crowded around each other. Robin stopped the craziness by saying "I know what happened to Wally."

He took a breath as he received his team's full undivided attention. "Wally got caught up in a gang war last night, and some Equalists ambushed them. He got rounded up and kidnapped with them, taking them to some unknown location. Now we just have to find out where they took him and get him out before anything else bad happens."

Megan, Zatanna, and Artemis shared a concerned look. "Okay, our turn." Zatanna held up the Amon flyer. "We talked to one of Amon's supporters, named the Joker. He said Amon was going to put on a show tonight, something called a 'Revelation.'"

Megan played with her hands nervously. "He said that Amon had plans for the benders, that Wally might get hurt."

"He didn't _say_ Wally was going to get hurt, only that he wanted Amon to hurt him," muttered Artemis angrily, looking away as she clenched her hands into fists.

"Same thing," Conner put in.

They took turns studying the flyer before Rocket noticed. "It doesn't say where it is. How are we supposed to know? What are we, psychic?"

Kaldur stepped up saying, "I believe Conner and I found the answer to that. We talked to a former gang member who said that gangs were disappearing and rumored to be kidnapped by Equalists. He also informed us that many small groups of people were walking to an abandoned warehouse."

"So we followed his directions, and saw that his story checked out. We found the warehouse, and it looks like we need that flyer to get in. If we're going to save Wally, we need to do it soon," suggested Conner.

Robin nodded. "We're going to have to sneak in, but I don't think we all need to go inside. Superboy, Megan, and Z, you find us a quick getaway and help us from the outside if things go wrong. Artemis, Rocket, Kaldur, and I will go in and get Wally. The show may have already started, so we'll have to create a diversion and save Wally during it. We'll figure out what exactly when we get in. Everybody got it?"

They all nodded. "Good, stay whelmed. Now let me get us some clothes so we blend in with the crowd."

12345678987654321

Wally groaned and for what felt like the fiftieth time in the past ten minutes, struggled against the bonds around his wrists and ankles. It had been almost a day since he was taken by the Equalists, but he was no closer to being free. He had absolutely no plan to get out. He saw the gang members fight against their bonds until their skin bled, try to bribe the Equalists, and even try to fight their way out until they were electrocuted by Equalists. None of the attempts had worked and a feeling of dread and fear had begun to settle on the captives as they felt the Equalists stir in anticipation of something.

"You should stop fighting, kid. Save your energy until you have an opening, probably after they move us," advised the elderly man Wally had seen in the scuffle the previous night.

He snorted at the suggestion. "Yeah, right. How do you even know they're going to move us? They could just kill us all on the spot. It might be too late if we wait for them to relocate us. Easier to just get out now." Wally tried in vain to slide out of the cuffs again with no luck still.

"I'm an old man. People tend to look over me when they talk about 'secret' meetings and events," replied the man. "And I've seen a lot and been in quite a bit of sticky situations myself. I tend to give good advice."

Wally felt himself give up and sighed, slumping down further against the wall they were sharing.

"I'm Kent Nelson by the way."

"Name's Wally, Wally West," he returned. "What were you doing out there last night? You're too old to be in the middle of a turf war." He ignored the mental image of Artemis elbowing him for being rude.

But Kent just chuckled. "Tried to figure out a way to stop it, calm those kids down. Bending isn't about showing off who's more powerful than who. It's a gift, a special connection to a past forgotten and even a little bit to the Spirit World. Now, I could ask _you_ the same thing about being out there. You're not part of any gangs."

Wally shook his head vehemently. "Not a chance. What gave it away?"

"I saw the way you tried to get Abra Kadabra and Black Adam to stop fighting in the beginning. Didn't work out too well, did it?" Kent questioned with a smirk.

Wally rolled his eyes, remembering his less than brilliant plan of trying to stop the two leaders by yelling at them and their followers. "I wasn't even supposed to be there. Talk about getting stuck in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"And where were you supposed to be?"

"With my friends," Wally replied, his voice growing quieter as he remembered the fight with Robin and Artemis. He groaned, now having the time to realize how hot headed he had been. Granted, he had been worried about Rob's safety and Artemis did have suspicious relations with some criminals, but even he had to admit that accusing her of plotting to kill Robin was extreme and unfair. She had given no sign of wanting to hurt anyone, besides a couple of cocky opponents in the ring or occasionally Wally after he pulled some particularly nasty prank. Then, he had been angrier because he felt like Robin betrayed him, and instead of listening to both of them, he furiously stormed off and got himself kidnapped. _Stupid, you should know by now that Rob's usually right._

"What happened to them?" asked Kent, his kind voice breaking Wally out of his thoughts.

"We got into a fight. I-I may have accused one of them of trying to hurt the other. But it wasn't completely irrational, she was acting suspicious…well not her exactly, suspicious things were happening around her. It's…complicated," explained Wally.

"I see. Did she try to hurt your friend at all?"

"No."

"Did she try to hurt you?"

"Not outside of sparring. I mean we argue and trade insults back and forth. Sometimes she looks like she does when I put funny surprises in her bags, but nothing life threatening. " Wally smiled at the memory of her chasing him angrily through the halls of the mountain.

"So what made you think she was so bad?"

That stopped Wally for a moment as he tried to come up with something other than "Just because." "She seems to have a dodgy past, but won't tell anyone. But Rob trusts her, and he's got connections. I wouldn't be surprised if already knew everything about her. Should've talked to him first." Wally sighed.

"Seems to me like you were unfair," Kent noted.

"Maybe a little."

"Did she fight back against you?" He asked suddenly. "When you fought?"

"Wha- yeah, of course," Wally replied hesitantly.

"Does she put up with your crazy antics and pranks?"

Wally laughed at the idea of her doing anything otherwise. "No way. I make sure I'm out of shooting range."

Kent grinned and wiggled to the side a little. "Hey kid, mind doing me a favor? Reach into my pocket and see if you can hand me pocket watch."

Wally shuffled closer to him, turning around and complied with the strange and slightly awkward request.

"Great, now open it up and just drop it on my lap." Wally did so and scooted around to see Kent Nelson with a loving smile as he gazed down at a picture in the pocket watch. "My beloved Inza. Ah, she was a real pistol. Made me see there was more to life than just hunting down criminals all day and night."

"She, uh, must be worried," Wally said awkwardly, unsure what to do with this information.

Kent just laughed. "Worried? She'd kick my butt for getting kidnapped and probably hit me for taking so long to get out and almost giving her a heart attack." He sighed forlornly. "She's waiting for me, just not in this spectral plane."

"Oh, I'm sorry," replied Wally.

"Don't be. She lived life to the fullest and wouldn't want us moping about her. I'm not sure how much time we'll get, but I want to give you some free advice," Nelson said, slightly more serious but with a twinkle in his eye. "Find your own little spitfire, one who won't let you get away with nothin'. Alright?"

Wally nodded when suddenly more of Kent's words rushed back to him. "Wait, you hunted down criminals?" asked Wally surprised.

He nodded. "Yep, not too bad at it, if I do say so myself. Used to be part of the Justice Lotus too. Boy, those were the good old days. Not sorry to say I retired though. It got too much after a while and I had other things I wanted to do," Kent replied with a smile, temporarily lost in memories. "You're being mentored by them now, aren't you? I've heard about you and your friends on the radio. Not bad. But if you were going for the secret identity thing, you might want to work on hiding your airbending and your red hair."

Wally stared in shock and was about to say more when Equalists came in, rounding everyone up into a line. Wally carefully placed the pocket watch back in Kent's pocket. The teen was about to make a move to escape by blowing himself away from his enemies, when someone beat him to it. An earthbender tried shove the Equalists against the wall with blocks of earth, only to get electrocuted. He fell to the ground before one of the guards shoved him back into line and he slowly shuffled along, a look of pure defeat on his face. Wally shuddered and saw The Riddler give him a wicked grin. "Enjoy the show."

The captives were led on to what appeared to be a stage in an old warehouse covered with Amon posters and Equalist propaganda. There was a large crowd of people watching the stage, so much so that Wally stumbled. He always knew that Amon had some supporters, but never _this_ many. The crowd stretched from the front of the stage to the far back of the expansive room. Wally gulped.

All the benders were lined up on stage and forced to their knees, a row of Equalists stood close behind them, watching their every twitch. The spectators were silent, but Wally saw frowns and looks of hatred on their faces. Suddenly, spotlights went on, illuminating Amon as he rose from the floor to the stage. The crowd cheered as the announcer praised Amon as a savior, their hero. They quieted when Amon grabbed a microphone.

"My quest for Equality began when I was a young man. I was just starting out a simple life with my wife and our young son. We worked on a farm. We weren't rich, and none of us were benders, making us very easy targets for the firebender who manipulated my family. He forced us to give him all our earnings from the crops. If we were ever late on a payment, he burned the crop fields, and still expected us to pay him full price. When my wife and I confronted him, refusing to give into his demands any longer, he stormed off. The next day, my wife and I were working in the fields when we heard a scream from the house. When we arrived, the firebender was there, holding my son hostage. That day, he took my family from me. My wife couldn't handle the pain and went insane, lost beyond help. She disappeared after that day. Then, when I faced the firebender to fight back for my family, _he took my face_, forcing me to hide behind this mask." Amon paused, letting his chilling story sink in as the crowd gasped in horror.

"It's common knowledge that the Avatar is in Republic City." Boos and curses were shouted at the mention of the Avatar, and Wally bristled angrily. "He would tell you that bending is a gift and brings balance to the world. But he is severely wrong. Bending has brought nothing but war, pain, and suffering. Need I remind you, brothers and sisters, of the dreaded Hundred Year War? Instigated by the Fire Nation, fought completely by benders, causing destruction and chaos throughout the world," Amon's cool rough voice persuaded. "I know you are all curious about the Revelation. You do not have to wait any longer. The Spirits who have long guarded our world have communicated with me and say the Avatar has failed." Wally felt his face grow red and only Kent Nelson's "Don't do it, kid" kept him from shouting out and fighting his way to Amon.

"That is why they have chosen me to lead a new era of balance. They have chosen to grant me a power to make equality a reality, the power to take a person's bending away. Permanently." Again the crowd gasped, this time in disbelief as the benders stirred nervously at the declaration.

Finally, Abra Kadabra shouted, "You lie! Only the Avatar has the ability to take away someone's bending. You are not the Avatar. You are a pathetic man hiding behind a mask and a feeble army. You're no hero. You are a coward!"

The crowd grumbled, but Amon seemed unaffected as he spoke, "Abra Kadabra, leader of the Rogue gang. A gang full of benders known for abusing their abilities. Thank you for volunteering."

The Riddler grabbed Abra Kadabra roughly and brought him to face Amon. "Oh, I do volunteer. I volunteer to take you down, _right now_." He growled.

"In the interest of fairness, I'll allow Kadabra to fight to keep his bending." The Riddler undid the bender's bonds.

"You have made a grievous error." Kadabra immediately started the fight with a barrage of fire balls at Amon, who quickly dodged them. Then, the gang leader sent bolts of crackling lightning at Amon. Amon ducked and rolled to Kadabra's side, redirecting the lightning as he spun Kadabra around, placing a hand on the back of his neck and a finger on his forehead. Kadabra struggled, but Amon kept his iron grip. The energy from the lightning bolt slowly extinguished, turning into a decreasing wave of flame before sputtering out completely.

Kadabra fell to the floor, exhausted and shaken. Amon stood back to admire his handiwork as the gang leader struggled to stand up and shoot his opponent, but ended up collapsing to the ground. He gave a few more futile attempts before looking to his hands in shock and uttering in a broken voice, "What have you done to me?"

"Exactly what I promised," Amon replied simply. "Your firebending is gone, forever." The crowd reeled, and the trapped benders struggled to move, but the Equalists forcefully kept them in place. "The era of bending is over. In its place, the era of equality has begun." A chorus of cheers answered the announcement.

Then, the procession started as Amon gave the other benders the same opportunity, only to result in their bending becoming lost. Wally turned to see some of the tough, rugged men crying, shaking, and pleading, only to have their prayers unanswered as they moved to center stage. Luckily, he and Kent were towards the end of the line, but Amon was moving quickly. Wally swallowed and hoped against hope that his friends would save them in time. That they would escape. That he would be okay. That he would get to fly again and zoom around on an air ball. That he could still be a part of the Traught Tigerdillios and help them win the championship. That he could still be a hero and an airbending master, just like his mentor. That he would still be himself.

An Equalist pushed Kent Nelson towards Amon. "No! Stop it! He's not part of a gang!" Wally cried out. "He's not an evil bender! Let him go!"

Kent shook his head. "I'm not afraid. Amon speaks of vengeance, but he'll get what's coming to him too." Still, Kent wouldn't go down without a fight throwing left over ice spears and trying to trap Amon in ice as he approached him. Kent couldn't hold him off forever, and all too soon, Wally saw Amon wrap his hand around Kent's neck and placed a finger on his forehead. It only took a matter of seconds, but felt like hours to the boy as he saw his friend's body go slack and fall to the ground. It wasn't fair. Kent had done everything right, had been a hero, and helped Wally through this ordeal. He was the victim of unfortunate timing.

As Wally watched, Kent struggle to crawl away, looking much weaker than the others, he noticed the room becoming foggier and foggier. "What is tha-" he was interrupted when he felt a hand harshly lifting him and shoving him towards Amon. Wally swallowed and felt his bonds fall loose. He faced Amon, who seemed more intimidating up close. He was tall and muscular, that was plain to see even through his dark and loose clothing. The mask was even more unnerving, pale with a large red dot on the forehead; the mouth was set into a grim line and through the eye holes, Wally could see Amon's eyes were like steel, cold and unmoving.

Wally got into a fighting position, just as if he were in a probending match. "You want my bending? You're going to have to better than just waltzing up to me." Despite his usual carefree attitude and his current fear, there was no way he was going to let Amon take his bending away that easily. He owed it to Kent Nelson, he owed it to his mentors, he owed it to his friends, and he owed it to himself. Amon was walking leisurely towards him, when the pipes burst, immediately filling the room with a dense fog.

Screams echoed around the room, and the stage suddenly shifted, unsettling both Amon and Wally. Wally quickly moved away from Amon, losing himself in the fog. A dark figure jumped in front of him and Wally swung his fist at it, only to have his opponent grab it and hiss, "Dude, it's me!"

Wally took in the sight of his best friend, dressed in non bender's clothes, goggles and a dark newsboy hat, and cried out in relief, "Robin! I love you!" and reached out to hug him. Out of the corners of their eyes, the boys saw an Equalist lunge at them, only to be kicked aside by a similarly dressed Artemis. "Artemis!" Wally called out. "I-uh. It's you."

"Yeah, it's me, numbskull. What, no declaration of undying love for me?" she snorted and swung at another henchman. "You just _had_ to get caught up a gang fight and kidnapped."

Wally opened his mouth to retort, but Robin cut him off. "Seriously? Not here guys. Continue you little love fest later. Come on Wally, let's get you out." Robin yanked on his best friend's arm, and Wally followed until he remembered something.

"No, we can't leave yet. Not without Kent Nelson." With that, Wally turned and dashed into the mist, but only went a couple feet before he saw the elderly man's unmoving form on the ground. "No! You can push through this, stay with us." Wally fell next to him.

"It's ok. I'm going to be united with my Inza," said Kent weakly. Artemis and Robin came into view, and took in the scene. "You must be the rest of the Tigerdillos from the way you were greeted your friend."

The two teens quickly brushed away their shock, remembering their environment. "You coming with us?" asked Artemis.

Wally resolutely said "Yes" before Kent could argue. He stood up, putting one of Kent's arms around his shoulders; Artemis took the other and Robin covered them, bending the water in the mist to hide their group and fighting off anyone that got in their way.

Kent glanced at Artemis's determined expression before turning to Wally. "Hey Kid, remember what I said about finding a spitfire?" Wally nodded, moving as fast as they could without hurting Kent Nelson. "Good. Don't forget it."

Artemis gave the boy and man a confused glance. Suddenly, two figures appeared next to the group. Wally flinched but recognized Raquel and Kaldur and relaxed. "Man, am I glad to see you."

"We need to leave, now," said Kaldur in lieu of a greeting.

Raquel turned around and brought the metal hallway walls closer together, slowing their enemies' progress. "This isn't going to hold them for long."

"We won't need that much," shouted Robin as the group burst through the opening. The fog cleared away and they saw Zatanna calming her flying bison and Conner and Megan knocking out the last of the Equalists.

Conner and Aqualad helped move Kent Nelson into the air bison's saddle, the others scrambling on board. More Equalists flooded out of the building; the Riddler glowered at the teen benders, wielding a staff in the shape of a question mark sparking with electricity.

"Z! Get us out of here!" cried Robin as he joined Artemis and Conner in fighting off the Equalists and their projectiles.

"Yip Yip. Emoh su ekat." Zatanna snapped the reins, and with a groan the great animal took off into the air.

Wally watched as Kaldur attempted to heal Kent Nelson with water bending, but it was no use since he had very little physical wounds; he was fading fast.

"Can she go any faster?" called Artemis.

Kent opened his eyes tiredly and gave them a weak smile as he pushed away Kaldur's hands. "It's alright. It's time for me to go on a new adventure, with Inza. I want you all to know, that you did well tonight, saving your friend and me."

"I'm sorry we were too late to save your bending, sir," apologized Megan, her head bowed. The rest of the team had similar expressions of regret and sadness but Kent waved it away. "Bending is a great gift, but it's not the most important thing in the world. The only regret I have is leaving your generation to clean up the mess mine has caused. The hard part of your journey is just beginning, and you're going to face things the Justice Lotus never prepared you for. It's going to force every single one of you to go outside your comfort zone and make hard decisions, but I have faith in you. All of you." The man closed his eyes with a smile.

All of the kids were silent as they listened to Kent Nelson's breaths become slower and shallower. With one last release of air, Wally felt Kent's hand go limp.

Wally squeezed his eyes shut and grit his teeth, a shudder rocking his body. He felt the warm, comforting hand of his best friend, on his shoulder. Tears gathered in the corner of Megan's eyes and she sought comfort in Conner's arms. Zatanna concentrated on flying the bison to the Cave, rubbing at her eyes. Artemis turned away, hugging herself and staring angrily at the ground. Kaldur softly spoke a water tribe incantation, used for wishing the departed one a peaceful transition to the Spirit World, over Kent Nelson.

Eventually, they landed in an open enclosure inside their headquarters' borders; their mentors ran up to greet them. Red Tornado and John Stewart quickly took Kent Nelson's body to the infirmary. The teens reunited with their mentors in varying forms, some with comforting hugs, others with simple soothing hands placed on shoulders. The embrace between The Flash and his nephew was the longest of them all. "I knew you'd make it out. You gave your parents and Iris a heart attack though. Expect to be crushed when you see them," warned the older airbender. "Are you alright?"

Wally didn't answer and just gave his uncle with an unreadable expression.

When the time for reunion and reassurance had passed, Batman addressed them all, "Start talking."

Together, the young benders told the story of their adventure, starting from the moment the group split up to when they finally returned to the base. The JL members were silent for the most part, only asking questions occasionally. When the tale was finished, Robin asked the question on everyone's minds. "How can Amon permanently take a person's bending away?"

"He shouldn't be able to. Only the Avatar has ever possessed that ability," argued Superman.

"But we _saw_ him," Robin pressed.

Batman spoke, "I believe you." Other members of the Justice Lotus nodded, though their faces were troubled. "We don't know how he gained this power, but the Revolution is a greater threat than we had previously thought. With Amon's newfound ability, no bender is safe."

The young benders shared worried looks.

Black Canary came forward. "We'll look further into this. In the mean time, you kids get some rest. Your early morning training sessions will be canceled." She paused, making sure she met all of their eyes. "And if you want to talk more about what you saw or experienced tonight, come find me," she expressed in a motherly tone.

They all nodded and made their way to their rooms, minds swimming with the events of just one night.

12345678987654321

A/N: That's chapter 4 for you! Sorry, didn't give as much info on Amon as I thought I would. His story is based off a DC character though. Also, if any of you noticed, when Zatanna is flying her bison, she says "Emoh su ekat" or "Take us home," as a throwback to her magic abilities in her show. Sorry it was so long, but I hope it makes up for the delayed posting. Thanks for taking the time to read, as always please leave review or some constructive criticism.


End file.
